A StarWars Fable
by IAmElvie
Summary: The story is based on the SWTOR online game. There will be a mixture of my characters and game NPCs. All class protagonists exist and occasionally they will come into contact with each other. My fable may veer some from the actual game content. You will meet KOTOR descendants and a few Star Wars movie ancestors as well as whatever else I throw in. As always, mature readers only.
1. A StarWars Fable-Prologue Consular

SWTOR

A SWTOR Fable

Prologue

Consular – Yuon's Illness

Note: Please do not judge all the prologues by this one. While it is my fav class to play, it is not my fav story line.

Lora glanced over at Cas and winked, knowing he was finally finished with his meditations. He was certainly better than her at meditating and that was something they'd often tease each other about. Honestly, she didn't know how he could spend so much time on his knees. She learned early on how painful that was and always rested on her backside for meditation. Granted, he could rise faster than she could, but somethings were worth giving up for the sake of being able to walk afterwards.

Cas, himself, was a stunning young man – not that she noticed. Her thoughts caused a grin to tug at her lips, because noticing would be very un-jedi-like. Or so they would have you believe. But his pale golden-green skin, light blue eyes and unruly mop of light blonde hair that he kept pulled back in a ponytail was a striking combination. Add to that a chiseled face and a muscled body the size of a small mountain, he would give any girl pause. He gave her pause…he always had. She loved him. She did. He was her soulmate. They had a deep and passionate love that was written in the stars – at least the romantic I her believed that. They'd given their innocence to each other a few years back and there were no regrets. But they'd grown up together and were best friends as well, which was likely how their relationship went unnoticed.

They didn't hide their love and if asked directly about their relationship they would have told the truth and left the jedi order, but people tend to see only what they want to see. They saw them only as two people who grew up together and were as close as siblings. If they hugged or held hands it was frowned on but overlooked. They didn't openly show their sexuality – nothing more than a kiss on the cheek was ever seen. Not because they were intentionally hiding it, but because they were both conservative and private individuals. It was hard to be anything else when raised in the jedi academy. She had to wonder if everyone was so blind just because she and Cas were stronger in the force than anyone had been in generations – if ever, and they didn't want to risk losing that power to the freedom or even the dark side. Maybe by overlooking they maintained control. Or maybe they just didn't want to see.

At one point, two masters had them investigate another pair for romantic inclination and they were discovered to be involved. One of them went so far as to bribe her and Cas to remain quiet. That had been alarming. People should be trained to handle their feelings in a responsible manner not pretend as if they don't exist. For all the good the jedi order did, like every institution, there were flaws. They'd had to admit their findings even though it meant the pair had to give each other up or lose their right to be a jedi. She felt dirty inside after reporting their what they'd learned. They should have been embraced...nurtured, not given impossible ultimatums that could have far darker consequences than doing nothing at all. If those kids were expelled from the Jedi Order, where did the masters think they would go to find training? No. There had to be another way.

She couldn't stop herself from wondering, were they given that assignment as a warning? No, she doubted the jedi would be so blasé about it. They already didn't approve of how close she and Cas were - if they knew the truth there would be a reckoning. Without a doubt, they did not know. While Cas touched no one but her, she was a toucher – a hugger. Her outgoing nature was always on display and no one was immune to it. While some grumbled at her 'familiarity', she could feel the contentment they could not say aloud. Most beings craved being touched, even when they could not admit it - to themselves or another.

Tython, itself, was strong in the force. They had felt it the moment they approached the planet. She and Cas had been sent to Tython at a younger age than normal. They were the strongest jedi their academy had seen in centuries and there was nothing more the masters at the Academy could teach them. So, they were sent to Tython to complete their training under the Order's most experienced Council masters and take their trials.

Master Yuon Par had chosen to train her the moment she'd heard about her connection to the force. Since Cas' connection was close to her own and far higher than anything their Academy could handle, he was sent with her to Tython. His master wasn't decided until their shuttle had landed. High Council Master Orgus Din, who hadn't sought to mentor a padawan in years had chosen to mentor Cas.

Things were different now since they'd come to Tython. They didn't get to spend much time together anymore. Jedi did not like attachments and maybe that is why they were kept apart. But it was far too late for that. And now, this was one of the last times they would see each other in person for who knew how long. On the day she'd finally earned a promotion to the rank of Jedi Knight, her Master, Yuon, had fallen sick with a mysterious illness and she had to fly to Coruscant to find answers and she, herself, had been ordered to Coruscant to find a way to save Yuon.

She knew Cas' trials were going to be just as dangerous as her own had been and that he was searching for Bengel Morr – a traitor to the jedi order. She had little doubt that he'd find him soon , but that didn't stop her from worrying about him. She patted the armor on his chest that his robe could not conceal. "Will you see me off in an hour, Cas?"

He gave her long, golden braid a slight tug. "Nothing will keep me away. I don't think Master Orgus would even try." He did not miss the somber look in her golden, glowing eyes. "We knew this would happen one day. Lora. You may be named after Apollo and Ra, but no God could keep us together forever," he teased.

He followed her back to the temple and gave her a brief hug as they went off to their own rooms. He took a sani-steam and slipped into a more comfortable tunic and breeches. He doubted he'd leave the Temple again this night, he had some research to do. And while his armor had temperature regulators, it was still armor and thus uncomfortable.

Before the hour was up, he was at Lora's room to escort her to the shuttle. Master Yuon had been sent off-world immediately after she was stabilized. The Council had given Lora a couple of days to get her life situated before leaving Tython. There was often a party of sorts when a new knight left Tython for the first time, but the circumstances for her leaving so soon lent a somber air to the get-together. He'd wanted to whisk her away somewhere private so she wouldn't have to deal with everyone's condolences - and he knew she was thinking the same thing. But she handled it with grace like she handled everything. And maybe getting out on her own was just what she needed. Her beliefs did not align perfectly with the Jedi beliefs. She did not believe the Force was light and dark. She believed places could be tainted with good or evil from either great tragedy or great triumph, similar to a haunting, but the Force itself was not good or evil. The people that used it were. She believed that if the energy were used in a continuously destructive manner that it would start to break down the body because it was warping the energy from its original purpose. Life. He didn't think her ideas were wrong. They'd spent years talking over their beliefs together and despite what they'd been taught since younglings, they just didn't see things the same way as the masters and they didn't believe their different ideologies would lead them to the dark side. But, no doubt all jedi that became twisted believed the same thing. Regardless, he knew they'd never lose their way like that. Neither of them even had it in them to behave in the treacherous manner of a dark jedi or sith.

Attachments weren't wrong. They gave you a reason to fight when you lacked the strength to go on. And the loss of an attachment would be painful, but being consumed by pain was far different than allowing it to fuel you. So long as justice did not fall to vengeance then there would be no twisting of the soul. They also believed there was no 'falling' to the dark side. Not in the way the masters believed someone fell to the dark side, whereby using the dark side of the force would corrupt you into falling to the dark side. No. A soul didn't _fall_ but it could become warped and twisted with hate, jealousy, envy or even pain brought on by real, manipulated or imagined events. The mind was both beautiful and dangerous – but it could also be very delicate.

The masters talk about no attachments…no love, but the strength of bond between some masters and their padawans can become psychic because of their deep caring and love, which can be just as powerful as a familial bond…or even stronger. He had such a connection with Lora. They could feel each other through the bond. That connection was not frowned upon, however, only families and lovers were frowned upon. His love for Lora only made him stronger and he welcomed that strength. He would leave the Jedi order if he had to choose. He could help others whether he wore a robe or not. There was never a shortage of those in need. He released a cleansing breath, entered the barren shuttle with her, set her small satchel on the floor and pulled her into his arms. At only 5'6", she was so much smaller than him that the top of her head came to his chest. But holding her had always given as much comfort as it lent.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment to shut out the sight of the shuttle that would take her away from Cas. "This isn't goodbye, you know. I'll never tell you goodbye. Goodbye is…final. It will never be final between us, Cas."

A small grin tugged at his lips and he kissed the top of her golden head. "No, Lor…there are no goodbyes between us. Not ever." He took a step back and lifted her chin so that he could look down into her softly glowing golden eyes. "My promise is as sound now as it was when we were younglings. Our lives are bound. Together. Always. If you s_ee_ something and wish to talk about it or just want company, I'm only a holo away."

When his hand slid up to cup the side of her face, she leaned into it. She'd been getting visions since she was a child. He'd always been there with her to hold her and talk her down from her visions if they were too frightening. They would always debate what they might mean. The meaning was not often clear as the visions usually came in pictures that sometimes flew by before she could even make sense of them. Sometimes they came in short vids like holo clips. Often their discussions led to sharing those visions with a master to better understand it.

A seer was very valued to the Jedi, but she didn't like the path those visions had taken her in the order. She was not content to do little more than seek visions. She needed to be out doing something and so she stopped talking about her visions. Eventually, her life became her own again – in as much as any jedi's life can be. But she still had the visions and, until now, she still had Cas to discuss them with. "Right…a holo. Too bad that does not keep me warm at night or chase the chills from my blood," she said softly.

He grunted. That was a painful truth. "It will not always be like this – I promise you that. You are my wife and we will be together again." He felt the touch of her finger tracing the intricate patterns of his life that were tattooed and mostly hidden under his bangs on his forehead before her fingers trailed down to sink beneath his ponytail at the nape of his neck. When she drew his head down, he didn't resist. He couldn't. With little more than a glance to ensure they would not be seen, his lips captured hers – hungry and desperate, knowing it would be some time before she'd be in his arms again. She rubbed against his arousal and he groaned into the kiss. He wanted to make love to her, but he couldn't…not here. He pulled back and sucked in a ragged breath when he felt the pilot approach the shuttle. Once again, he was glad that the length of his tunic hid his body's response.

She grinned up into his twinkling blue eyes that were still dark with desire. "We are not married yet – a fact that needs sorely rectified."

He pulled a small box out of the front pocket in his pants. He drew one of the rings from it and slipped the simple band onto the ring finger of her left hand. "You are my wife in every way that matters, but the next time we meet, we'll make it legal," he murmured.

She chuckled softly, love shining in her eyes. "You were holding out on me," she teased as she pulled the much larger ring from the box and pushed it over the knuckle of his finger. There were intricate symbols on the bands, much like the symbols on his forehead. She knew those symbols meant something to him and one day she would find out what. "You're mine, Cas."

"Always and forever…" his words were halted by the pilot's entry into the shuttle.

Her smile was somber. "Tell T7 that I'll miss him." She'd gotten to like the spunky little droid that tended to stay near Cas when it wasn't running a mission for Master Orgus.

"We need to head out, master jedi," the pilot informed them. He inclined his head to the padawan and the jedi and settled into the pilot's seat. He turned his head to look back at them. "The trandoshan will arrive momentarily. I passed him on the way to the shuttle."

Casyrian's gaze lowered to back to Lora. "May the force be with you."

"And you…" she whispered as she watched him walk down the shuttle's ramp and out of her life…at least in the physical sense. For the first time she was truly on her own and she wished she could foresee her immediate future. Well, not quite on her own, the trandoshan would be with her. She saw Cas stop Qyzen and wondered what their brief talk had been about. But Qyzen did not say as he boarded the shuttle.

She settled into a seat and pulled her datapad out of her bag. She liked Qyzen well enough…respected him too, but a touchy-feely people person he wasn't. She didn't quite feel like she could be herself around him. How could she when he believed her to be the Herald of his Scorekeeper? Those were mighty big shoes to fill. What if she disappointed him in some way? How could anyone live up to someone else's ideal? It was hard enough living up to one's own ideal. And she was a peacekeeper. A diplomat. Violence was only a last resort – never a first. How could she ever be the Herald of his Goddess? How was she to help him regain his jagannath hunting points? She certainly didn't lead the kind of life he required, despite her earlier battles.

With a sigh, she shoved the datapad back into her bag, crossed her legs and settled back into the not so comfortable seat. She didn't feel much like doing research right now. She peered over at Qyzen, who seemed to be looking for any damage his armor might have taken. "Tell me more about the adventures you had with my master." He looked at her briefly but continued looking over his armor as he began to speak in in a rough, rumbly voice. Many races refused to speak basic or could not, though most understood it well enough. She'd learned a number of languages, but she still needed a translator to understand some of them. The translator she'd chosen was a small ear cuff that was actually pierced in so that it did not easily fall off. As a diplomat, she needed to understand every one she talked to and a droid was not always efficient to travel with.

It was interesting to hear stories about her master. Yuon had told her quite a few of her adventures…but even when he talked about those, it was like listening to new stories since the point of view was different. Six people can experience the same event and they all remember things a little bit differently. It was as fascinating as it was frustrating – at least when she had to sort fact from fiction. In this case, it didn't matter and the slight differences were intriguing.

The shuttle hooked up with the Solaris, which took them to Carrick Station. It was the first time she'd ever been to the station. So many different people, most in a hurry, scurried past her in a whirlwind. At times it felt like she was moving in slow motion compared to many of the beings around her.

They located the transportation office. The next ship leaving for Coruscant was three days away. Three days! She sent a message to Grand Master Satele Shan and within a few minutes they had passage booked on the Esseles, which would be leaving in the morning. With Yuon sick, no one needed them to be delayed.

She offered to share the room she was granted as a jedi with Qyzen, but he refused and told her he'd meet up with her at the Esseles' dock in the morning. She did not doubt his words. She settled her bag in her room and left to scope out a good place to eat dinner. That was when she ended up being where she wasn't meant to be. It wasn't her fault. She didn't know there was an SIS sting going down. She'd didn't know an agent was posing as a buyer. She did what she'd always done – followed her instinct when something sounded bad. Thankfully, she didn't completely unravel the sting – the money had already changed hands. She'd knocked out everyone…including the agent. That was when the other agents descended on them.

They revived their fallen agent, cuffed the agent and the gang members and hauled them off. She was brought in for questioning, where she found the agent pulling off her disguise _and _no longer wearing cuffs. Apparently, she did not wish to blow her alias so she had to get arrested with the rest of the gang. Lora couldn't begin to imagine living that kind of life.

After a round of questions and paperwork, Lorianna, the SIS agent, suggested a nice little place to dine. That was a very good thing about this time, because she was about ready to eat the table…and that would have been awkward to explain, as would the splinters between her teeth.

Before they made their goodbyes for the evening, they both discovered they'd be flying to Coruscant together on the Esseles. With Qyzen and Lorianna to talk to, maybe the trip would not be as boring as they often were. Then again, she'd never flown in anything as customer oriented as the Esseles. The vessels she'd been in were stark and uncompromising. It wasn't until a few days into the trip that they realized just _how _different this trip was going to end up being.

The twi'lek held out her hand to stop the other passenger. "Jedi? You are a jedi, aren't you? I mean…you do have that look about you. Sort of." She wasn't wearing the traditional brown jedi robes. Instead, she was wearing dark blue clothing with gold trim with lightly armored boots, but a serene look and lightsabers proclaimed her status.

The woman sounded concerned…worried even. Lora grinned at the 'sort of' remark. "Yes, I'm a jedi. Is something wrong?"

"Has the crew spoken to you? Have they told you about anything that has happened? Or…might happen?" the concerned twi'lek asked.

"No…why would the crew come to me? I must confess, I'm a bit confused right now. Do you need help with something?"

The twi'lek shook her head. "Not exactly. There are rumors that we are being followed by an Imperial ship."

"I have felt…something drawing closer. Now, it makes sense. If I'd known sooner…I could have helped them prepare. Now…" she turned to look at the agent.

Lorianna released a sharp breath. She knew exactly who this concerned _passenger_ actually was. What she didn't know was why the imps were wanting to board rather than just destroy them. And why would they concern themselves with the Esseles at all? It was hardly a military prize. "I started those rumors. The officers aboard refused to alert the crew or passengers. I did what I could to get the word out."

The ship rocked with the shock of small explosions. And that was when their comfortable and enjoyable trip became a fight for survival. The three of them headed for the bridge. Every corridor they went through, dead or injured were found. The healer in her wanted to help those that were hurt, but she had to push that to the side. Stopping the imperial ship would save more lives than her healing a scattered few.

On the bridge, Lora had been able to talk First Officer Haken down from a panic attack when the Captain was killed. It was obvious the first officer had cared for the captain and was terrified of actually taking command. She would help in any way she could to shore up his confidence and get them to Coruscant.

"Sir! Incoming message – the imperial ship is hailing us!" the frantic communications officer yelled out.

Haken startled. "What? Oh. Well, put them on." A large, scarred man in an imperial uniform displayed on the holo.

"Republic transport Esseles, this is Grand Moff Rycus Kiran. Your defenses are entirely disabled. Attempt no resistance."

"We're well aware of our situation, Kilran," Lora told him. "What we are unaware of is why. What could you possibly want with the Esseles? Did you not fill some daily quota and any little ship will do?"

"Quite amusing. I was unaware jedi were capable of a sense of humor. Your ship is transporting a known anti-imperial terrorist and seditionist: the so-called _Ambassador_ Vyn Asara. I've come to collect her."

"It would seem Imperial officers also have a sense of humor if you believe that any jedi would hand someone over to an Imperial. I apologize, but I must decline your request," she informed him.

Haken blinked in shock. His gaze darting to the jedi that seemed to be challenging the Imperial and back to the Moff. "Who? We didn't take on any passengers by that name. I've never ever heard of this person!"

Kilran cocked a brow. "Interesting. Lying or incompetent? No matter my agents aboard your ship have confirmed the ambassador is there."

Lorianna's gaze did not leave the Moff's. "I've already seen to your _agents_, Kilran. Did you believe the Ambassador would go unprotected or that your agents would not be discovered?" She glanced over at Lora. The jedi's slight nod was all she needed. "You will find that despite having disabled our ship, you will never get what you've come for and you will regret attacking us."

They had the audacity of a whipped dog that continued to try to bite the hand strangling it. "Your arrogance is bemusing. You do realize you cannot win? My soldiers are preparing to board your ship through the primary airlock. If you attempt to stop my men from arresting Ambassador Asara, I will have every living thing aboard the Esseles killed."

The holo was disengaged. "Kilran won't let us go," Haken growled. "He'll kill us all anyway – he's famous for it. The only one he wants alive is the ambassador." He looked at golden-brown haired woman. "I don't know who you are – but you must be able to fight if you took down Kilran's agents. If you and the jedi can't stop these soldiers, then we are all dead."

"We'll stop the soldiers," Lora told him.

"Then meet up with Commander Narlock by the primary airlock. He'll know what needs to be done to save this ship."

Lorianna frowned. "It could be that Kilran is cocky enough to tell us just where he is going to board, but I don't think so. I think the airlock is a diversion. But it must still be dealt with. Lora – you and Qyzen go to the airlock. There are two other places they might board. Engineering to cut off life support and the bridge. Since they want Asara alive, my guess is the bridge. I will get to the bridge. Indirectly, of course."

True to Lorianna's words, the airlock was only a diversion. Though, she was glad they came. Narlock's men were inexperienced and enough people had died on this voyage. But something else happened that they weren't expecting. The Imperials had taken control of the bridge, led by a Mandalorian by the name of Ironfist.

Ambassador Asara had come bearing the unfortunate news. However,as luck would have it, they had someone on the inside. Lorianna had been heading to the bridge. She doubted the woman had been captured or caught in the crossfire. Whatever Lorianna was, she was highly trained. Her communicator chimed and she pulled out the small, handheld unit. Lorianna's kneeling form displayed in holo miniature.

"The bridge had been taken before I arrived. I'm in the ducts and nearly there. I will do what I can to protect the bridge crew. You need to get to engineering. There should be a way to unlock the bridge from there. Lor out."

The holo cut off and she slipped it back into her pocket. It didn't take them long to get the bridge unlocked, but each minute felt a year. Time had an ironic way of doing that when survival was on the line. As they stepped onto the bridge, two imps were dropped, with little more than the hiss of air.

Ironfist rose from his seat, clapping his hands in mockery. "A hidden sniper. Clever girl – though not very honorable. I expected more from a jedi. Killing people without giving them a chance? Very dark. Or are you a sith in jedi robes?" he taunted.

Her back stiffened but she did little else to show how his words stung. "Actions that are not my own do not reflect on me. I'm giving you a chance to surrender, despite the horrible crimes you perpetrated. And I _do_ suggest you surrender; it is better for your health."

His large, beefy arms crossed his chest. "Or what? You'll have your sniper shoot me? No. There will be no surrender. Give me a worthy battle!" the Mandalorian demanded. He knew he wasn't getting out alive, not when he'd realized his team had been taken out. He knew he'd be cut down if he attempted to call for backup. No, he was going to die here today. The only thing he had left to care about was an honorable death.

The trandoshan at the jedi's side pulled its sword from its sheath a moment before the jedi's lightsaber flicked on. His nod to them was barely perceptible, but it did start the fight. It would be a glorious battle, indeed. The jedi did not use her powers to kill him like a sith would. He was grateful for that honor. Trandoshan's might be animals, but mandalorians considered them worthy opponents. The jedi extinguished her lightsaber and allowed it to fight him one on one. He preferred guns, but the enemy had only a sword. So, he would fight it at as an equal. Steel on steel. One on one. It would be a glorious death for one of them. Even if he beat the trandoshan, he did not believe he'd beat both the hidden sniper and the jedi. His armor held some resistance to lightsaber attack, but it did have some weak points that could be exploited – one of which was the fact that he had not worn his helmet.

While Qyzen fought with the Ironfist, Lora took the time to help with the wounded. She knew Lorianna was hiding somewhere, her rifle trained on the Mandalorian. She had little doubt the SIS agent would take the shot if Qyzen looked to be in trouble.

Quite a few minutes later Qyzen joined her at the side of a man who'd received a nasty rifle butt blow to the head. She'd healed him enough to remove his concussion and wake him but he'd likely still have a headache.

Qyzen stood proudly. "You gave me the kill. You honor me, Herald. Many jagannath points have been earned."

She grinned and rose to her feet. "I had hoped you would understand the nod I gave you and not think I was backing out of the fight because I was afraid." She thought that rusty sound might have been a laugh.

"Fear would not stop the Herald. The Herald is generous to give me such a kill," he assured her.

Loraianna hurried toward the pair. "Good fight, Qyzen!"

He inclined his head to her, acknowledging the fact that she was his backup. "Help was not needed by the Shadow Hunter. There is no honor…no jagannath points earned by killing from the shadows," he informed her.

Lorianna was not in the slightest bit offended. "Sorry big-guy, my scorekeeper is my boss and this was how he prefers me to kill. If I've been seen then I didn't do my job right."

"There is no honor in your job," he stated flatly.

No…there was not. She did not join the SIS for honor. "Perhaps not, but the Republic needs me all the same. We all fight against the Empire with whatever strengths we have." Hers was acting…and fighting from the shadows.

Haken squared his shoulders and frowned at the narrowminded trandoshan. "I don't care what your jobs are. You were there when we needed you and you took out the imps that would have killed us. We owe you three a lot, but the job is not done. The imps may be dead but we are still sitting ducks."

"He's right," Asara stated. "You will need to board the Imperial ship and release us from the tractor beam. The tractor beam controls are easy to find if you know where you are going."

Haken eyed Asara thoughtfully. Maybe we can use this to our advantage. If the imps have what they want, maybe they won't pursue us…if we can break free. "It would appear you are familiar with the layout of the enemy vessel, Ambassador, perhaps you should go with them."

Asara nodded her approval. "That's a good idea. I can get you where we need to go."

Lorianna didn't think it was a good idea to let the ambassador board the enemy vessel that wanted to capture her. But nor would she be able to explain how she knew where they needed to go without drawing suspicion. Lora and she supposed Qyzen might know she was an SIS agent, but she didn't want anyone else finding out.

"Not if you look like an ambassador, ma'am," Commander Narlock warned. "We'll supply you all with uniforms to disguise you."

Lora raised her hand. "Do supply the others, but there is little point disguising Qyzen and me. I doubt there are any other trandoshans aboard and I can feel at least one sith from here, which means he can feel me as well. If the sith is loyal to Kilran they will know when we're aboard."

While Lorianna and the ambassador were dressing, First Officer Haken pulled her aside to ask her to leave the ambassador behind on the Moff's ship so they could get away without the Moff giving chase. There were times when sacrificing the one for the many was called for and she would do it regardless of the guilt that would burden her soul. But she didn't think it would call for that. Especially, if they could find some way of disabling the Moff's ship long enough for them to slip away.

They met up with the others at the shuttle. Their mission was to sabotage the power station. She had expected to have imp guards greet them in the hangar with all hands on deck, but it was as if the imps were caught with their pants down. Perhaps, the sith did not work with Kilran…or perhaps they just weren't paying attention.

By the time they hacked into power station terminal, Kilran knew they were there. He appeared at their backs on holo. The look of actual surprise in his eyes was worth being caught. Mostly.

"Well. I've seen some incredible things in my time, but you've topped the list," he admitted with budding respect. "I'm sorry I couldn't greet you in person -if only you had let me know you were stopping by."

"I know. How rude of me. Normally, I would have commed you and we could have arranged for a spot of tea. But I assumed you wished to see us since you did not wish us to depart too hastily. My pardon if I misread the signals. Perhaps, we can arrange to do lunch real soon," she crooned. Qyzen growled softly, but Lorianna giggled under her breath.

"No,no.." Kiran waved a hand negligibly. "I am quite prepared for your visit. And I _do_ insist on lunch. Please stay. My men will be along shortly to escort you to the accommodations I've arranged."

Lorianna couldn't stop herself from joining in on the war of manners. "We appreciate your generous hospitality, your Grand Moffiness. We do hope your escort arrives quickly. We are most eager to meet you."

He was surprised that anyone in the Republic held even a modicum of manners. He'd expected blatant name calling and chest pounding. Interesting that. He studied the golden-haired woman intently. She seemed oddly familiar to him, though he could not place her face or voice. Odd that. It would come to him in due time. "Right. Just so. I have another delightful guest to introduce you to. Do not tarry."

Lora shook her head and laughed when the holo blinked off. "Well…Right. Just so. That, alone, was worth coming to see."

"I wonder if you can kill someone with kindness?" Lorianna teased.

"Perhaps we will find out. Let's go."

Despite the Moff knowing they were aboard she didn't see any more troops than she had previously. A token resistance at best. Not that she was complaining. But the Moff was arrogant in dismissing them out of hand. Perhaps this guest he was referring to was the sith presence she felt.

They fought their way to the tractor beam controls and disabled them.

"I must say, this is getting out of hand. You are leaving me with precious few options," Kilran warned cordially.

Yeah...yeah. Unfortunately, getting back the way they came was not an option. Lorianna was able to pull up schematics Lora hadn't even known she'd had. Though, she really shouldn't be surprised. No doubt Lorianna had impersonated an imperial aboard a similar ship before. Regardless, she was more than glad she'd met up with the SIS agent, even if it meant traipsing through the bowels of an Imperial warship.

"We are getting closer to the sith presence," she warned as they approached the hangar bay.

By the time they brought the barrier field down the sith was already strangling the ambassador. Lora strode purposely towards the sith who dropped Asara with a grin.

Vokk smiled. This was the presence he'd felt. He had hoped it would be a jedi and not some untutored force user. The force was stronger in her than he'd thought, but no matter. The dark side was stronger and she would fall. "Greetings…At last – a real, live jedi. How I've looked forward to this. A true sith cannot go long without a true challenge."

She glanced down at Asara as the twi'lek scuttled backwards away from the battle to come. Her gaze rose to meet the sith's. "It is unfortunate for you that I will be the first and last jedi you will ever meet."

Vokk's upper lip lifted in a snarl. "I think not. When I carve the heart from your chest, your fellow jedi will sense your defeat. As will my master. To destroy a dangerous foe...that is the way of a true sith."

She inhaled sharply at the brief glimpse of future. "All paths do not need to lead to the same destination. You are at a crossroad. Join me and survive or continue down this path and die. There is no other way for this to end – I have seen your death," she warned him, not unsympathetically.

His hand raked through the air in disgust. "Then your visions are as weak as your platitudes! The dark side fills me with a strength you cannot imagine. It is not my death you saw but your own, along with every life aboard that ship," he seethed.

Lorianna rolled her eyes and released a harsh breath. "If you have no intension of lightening your soul or getting out of our way, will you kindly stop talking and raise your damned lightsaber so that we may get on with this? We do not wish to continue to impose upon the Moff's hospitality like clingy relatives..." She tilted her head. "Unless, you are a frightened little boy…"

The fight was on…and it was the most difficult fight she'd had yet. They were outnumbered and he was stronger than any force user she'd fought thus far – thought that wasn't saying much. She'd had limited experience fighting sith. But in the end, her vision played out…like they so often did. And, as luck would have it, they'd managed to escape before the Moff could power up his weapons.

Thankfully, the rest of the trip was relaxing and she'd gotten to know Lorianna much better. They had fought and survived together…a bond was formed from their shared experience. A bond that strengthened into friendship by journey's end. She gave her one bit of advice before they parted ways. "When you are running and your path comes to an end…do not be afraid to _leap_."

Lorianna's brows crinkled in confusion. "Did you mean that literally or figuratively?"

She hugged her friend. "Literally," she remarked in a dead pan voice. "Break the window and jump." She patted her new friend's shoulder. "I did not see more – but you will understand when the time comes."

Lorianna grinned and shook her head. "If anyone else told me to jump out a window, I'd call them crazy. But if I find myself in that situation, I won't hesitate."

"Good," Lora replied with a brief nod. "You know my holo frequency. Keep in touch."

She laughed at those words. "You might just be sorry you said that," she teased the jedi as she passed her and headed towards the SIS office.

Coruscant. The homeworld of her ancestors. No matter, she was not here to reconnect - if there were even any Draay still living here. She looked up at Qyzen. "I was told Yuon was in the medical wing in the Senate Tower. The medical staff weren't willing to release any further details to me. I intend to change their minds."

"They will talk," he rumbled.

Once they reached the medical wing, she did not find her master prone and weak upon a bed. No…it was almost worse than that. Her mind was not in the present. It was…elsewhere. She was distraught about a lost boy named Parkanas that she'd dreadfully failed. Lora tried everything she could think of to console her master and help her calm down, but nothing seemed to be working. Yuon had not even remembered that she was now a jedi knight, she referred to her as padawan. That didn't matter -but it was another reason to worry. She was slipping from reality.

Qyzen growled softly. "Have never seen Yuon so, Herald. Not in all years of knowing."

Yuon blinked and shook her head. "I'm not mad. The man in the shadows is making me this way. He brings the darkness – it's coming!"

She watched as an attendant led Yuon back to her room and then turned her attention to the myrialin. He was nothing like her Cas – the exact opposite to be honest, but it still tugged at her heartstrings.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm Attros Finn, the researcher here. We must get to work finding a cure. Unfortunately, the greatest collection of learning in the galaxy – the Jedi Temple on Coruscant – has lain in ruins since the war. I believe the answer to curing Yuon is in the archives of the temple ruins. The temple's artificers created a system to sort through the vast stores of knowledge -a set of three holocrons that served as guides. The wisdom and personalities of the order's greatest Masters were imprinted on these guides, which they called Noetikons."

He sighed. "Rep-Sec saw a group of scavengers with such a holocron, but they were only able to capture one of the gand. Reach out to officer Alec Efran, he is in charge of the captured gand at the Old Galactic Market security outpost."

It took them most of what remained of the day to track down the first Noetikon. The three masters within did not believe Yuon's condition to be medical, but their knowledge was incomplete without the other Noetikons. Of course, because nothing could ever be simple – even when you needed it most.

She took a room for the evening. Qyzen once again refused the extra bed. Perhaps he did not like mattresses – or he sought the company of other trandoshans. She could understand that. There was a certain myrialin that she wanted to seek out.

She slipped into a soft, silky nightshirt, settled on the sofa, sat the holo in front of her on the table and tuned into his frequency. She knew it would be earlier than he was used to rising, but she doubted he would mind.

She could tell he'd just sat up from bed. His hair was even more tussled than usual and his eyes were heavy lidded with sleep. It was a very sexy look on him. "Just waking up is a very good look on you – wish I could see it in person."

He rubbed his eyes and grinned at her. "Someday we both will. How is Master Yuon?"

"Her mind is…not in the present. I'm not sure where it is. She mentions some boy she failed by the name of Parkanas. She says the darkness is coming. I don't know what she means by that…but I don't think she's wrong. Though, the darkness that tickles at the edge of my mind…I don't know if it's the darkness she speaks of. Her words make little sense. But we are searching for a cure. The jedi once stored vast amounts of information in three holocrons called Noetikons. I've found the first of them this evening."

"That's wonderful news!" He raked a hand through his tousled hair. "Wait – are you still having the visions about the darkness? I thought you stopped having them."

She could hear the pain in his words and knew she'd hurt him. "I never stopped having them, I just stopped talking about them. The visions never showed anything new. Besides, they've reduced dramatically since I left Tython. What I'm feeling now is different. It is not the same darkness. But I'm sure darkness is behind what happened to Yuon. I've seen…I've seen her running…running for her life. She is not alone, but their faces are hidden in shadows. Tentacles of darkness are reaching out towards them. Pain. Rage. Seething. I- I don't understand what this has to do with Yuon, but she's in no condition to talk to me."

"Do you want me to see if Master Orgus knows anything about what might have happened to Yuon?" he asked quietly.

"No," she said with a gentle shake of her head. "If he doesn't know then they are keeping things quiet for some reason. For now, I will too. Present company excluded, of course. How is your search for Bengel Morr?"

A harsh bark slipped from his throat. "I'm not sure how close I am to catching him, but I am learning a lot more about him. He was one of the few that survived the sacking of Coruscant and the ordeal twisted his mind. He was teaching flesh raiders that were force sensitive – it is like handing a lightsaber to a child!" He rubbed his face briskly. "I…altered some of his plans and he reached out to me via holo. That was kind of him. With T7's help, we might be able to locate him using the transmission data. We'll see in the morning. Bengel was…uh…the last padawan Master Orgus had taken until…"

"Until you? You're no Bengel, Cas – you never could be," she assured him.

He looked at her holo image wishing he could see the golden glint of her hair, the golden shine of her eyes. "Everyone has the propensity for evil, Lora. But I don't see me turning to evil. I might feel justified to leave the Order someday, but destroying it and killing jedi are not at the top of my list of things to do in my lifetime."

"Of course not. You are a pillar of strength, Cas you always will be." She pulled her long shirt over the top of her head and tossed it on the sofa beside her. She grinned when he sucked in his breath.

"You do not play fair, love." If he wasn't already seated on the bed, she'd have brought him to his knees.

"Me? I've been staring at your beautiful pecs ever since I called you," she pointed out.

"In my defense, you _did_ wake me up," he countered, his gaze locked onto her breasts.

She wanted to tease him about where her eyes were actually located, but she enjoyed him looking at all of her. His hand reached out as if to touch her and her body tingled in anticipation. "I regret nothing. I'm just leveling the playing field."

Half an hour later, she flipped the holo off and crawled into bed. She was sated by their vid-play but it was not as satisfying as Cas' touch.

Come morning Attros Finn called them in to tell them about the second Noetikon. She sent a message to Qyzen to meet her at Finn's research room on the upper level of the Senate Tower. She grabbed a nutribar and a cup of caf on the way out the door.

Finn's assistant, a twi'lek by the name of Pharen, provided the most help regarding the location of the second Noetikon. Her sister worked at the Silent Sun cantina in the Black Sun district. She'd seen a holocron in one of the shipments stored in a backroom of the cantina. So that was their destination.

They took a public taxi to the location closest to the district they were told about, which wasn't near close enough for her. She would have preferred to stick to the shadows and sneak into the warehouse, but preferences and reality did not often go hand in hand. They ended up having to do more fighting than sneaking, not that Qyzen minded in the slightest.

She was surprised to the discover that some of the warehouse looked more like a medical facility than an actual warehouse. Complete with injured men in beds.

Curt groaned and nearly dropped to his knees. "Please, doc, you gotta help me -I don't want to die!"

The doctor raised his hands. "I'm trying to help you. You need to calm down so…." He turned to face the two that approached, figuring it was two more people in need. "Wait – what's a jedi doing here?"

She looked from the injured man to the doctor. "I've heard a jedi relic may be stored here. It would likely be square in shape."

Doctor Maer rubbed his forehead. "I can guess where it might be. Those Black Sun thugs. They call me in clean up a botched operation and I discover they are smuggling old jedi contraband inside people's bodies!"

Curt gripped his side and groaned. "A justicar…Lars something…Baddeg! Lars Baddeg is paying big to get this stuff offworld. We didn't know what it would do to us…"

"Those smugglers are dying, jedi. I've got my hands full here. If you need to find your relic then I suggest you grab a scanner out of the other room as well as medical supplies. Remove whatever you find from the people that the scanner tags. I don't care what you do with it – I just want to save their lives."

She wasn't sure how an untrained jedi doing surgery could save lives, but at least she could heal them. She picked up a medical bag and the scanner as instructed, but in the end she did not need the scanner to find the smugglers that were carrying – she could feel their pain. Two men were found.

She was terrified to cut into them. She wasn't a doctor, though she'd had a little bit of medical training to help with the healing techniques she used. Luckily, she could feel the artifacts directly under the skin. They were more than lucky the relics hadn't traveled deeper into their bodies. With antiseptic spray and a local pain killer, she used a small scalpel to make the incisions, a small laser to cauterize and stop the bleeding before she removed the object, applied bacta and used medi-glue to seal their wounds. She was curious what the disk held, but the holocron was far more important.

The three masters within believed the illness Yuon suffered from might be some sort of mind control, but only uniting all three Noetikons would they have the best chance at diagnosis.

Just as they were leaving the warehouse, her holo chimed. It was the researcher Attros Finn. Master Yuon was having an episode. She wasn't sure what she could do to help, but she promised him they would be there as soon as possible.

Attros had been right. The woman who spoke so coldly of breaking bones for fun was not her master. In the end, they'd had to disarm her and hold her down so that Attros could give her a sedative. She knew they were running out of time and their only lead was Lars Baddeg. Their only real option was going straight to the source.

It took them much of the afternoon and quite a few credits to find out where Lars Baddag was. She was expecting a fight and was surprised when Lars told her the Noetikon was hers without a fuss. She should have known something was up, but she felt the power from the artifact and did not investigate her senses further. Some lessons are learned the hard way. This was one of those lessons. As soon as she activated the holocron there was a flash of darkness and then a brilliant light, nearly painful to look at. There was nothing but the light until a woman walked towards them.

"Oh, thank goodness a visitor! It gets so lonely in here sometimes." She smiled warmly at her two guests. "I'd offer you a drink – but I ran out millennia ago, by my record. But we could play a game instead."

A game. She did not have time for frivolous games. Yuon's life was at stake. What she needed to figure out was where she was. If she knew that she might be able to figure out a way back home. So be it…she'd ask the obvious. "What is this place?"

She pursed her lips. "Now, that is a good question, but a difficult one. You zigged where you should have zagged – activated something you knew nothing about and ended up here."

"Okay, then how do I get out of here?" she asked the woman in a more pointed tone.

The woman tilted her head and studied her two guests, one of which was very powerful. "Well, I suppose I could let you go – but not without getting something in return. Play a game of questions with me. Answer three questions correctly and you're free. Answer one question wrong and your strength becomes a permanent part of this place."

Lora's eyes narrowed on the woman. "How many people have ever left this place?"

The corners of her lips twitched. "None."

So the woman intended to trap her here like she'd done to countless others. Lora had no intention of making it easy for her. "Of course. So it is agreed that all questions must be answered correctly for a person to leave. If any are answered incorrectly that person is absorbed into this relic. Right?"

"Yes…yes," the woman said with a gesture to hurry her up.

"Then ask your questions."

The woman beamed a smile. "Excellent! Such an accommodating guest!" she rubbed her hands together. "Okay. First question: How do you catch an answer?"

So it was riddles. "You lure it out with a question."

The woman pouted. "Too obvious, I suppose. It's no fun when you get the answer right." No, the jedi had to answer wrong. It had been too long since she'd fed on another's energy. "Next question: What does the wise person know?"

Again. Simple. "The wise person does not know, but seeks knowledge – always."

"Another right answer! You are so dull!" she complained with a flourish of her hand. Too much was riding on the last question. "Last question: Soon this place will be overrun with enemies. What will you do?"

That was not a riddle. She would fight – but she needed to know more to fight effectively and answer the question correctly. Was there even a right or wrong answer to that particular question? "What are these enemies? Have I fought them before? What are their weaknesses? Where will they attack from?"

The questions that were flung back at her stopped the Master of Questions in her tracks. All the questions were easy to answer except one. Had the jedi fought these enemies before. She had no way of knowing. Saying anything gave her a fifty percent chance at being wrong. She was naively bound by the rules the jedi put forth. Any wrong answer would lead to that person being absorbed into the relic. She would rather live as she was – trapped - than not live at all. "Gone! Be gone!" With a wave of her hand the guests disappeared.

Lora smiled when she realized they were back just in time to overhear the sith and his masters discussing their agenda. In the end, Lars had been ordered to kill them. But they were not so amenable as to oblige.

It was only after Lars lay dead on the floor and she'd used her senses to locate the real holocron that they discovered this 'plague' had happened once before. Created by Terrak Morrhage. There was only one way to cure the illness. A healing shield that would sever the connection. But using it came at a high price to the healer.

It would seem that bad new often fell at the heel of good news. Attros commed them and informed them that Yuon's body was starting to fail. She closed her eyes, ignoring her growling belly that was complaining about missing lunch. They needed to get to the temple. She pulled up a holomap. The only working transport to the temple was through The Works. The Works could be reached via a lift not too far from here. "Let us finish this, Qyzen." She slipped the two holocrons into her pack. Maybe the Masters would know what to do about the woman in the holocron. It would only bring trouble to leave it behind.

She was pleased they made fast time through The Works. It was said to be dangerous, but they had managed not to get noticed by anyone. Qyzen did not complain about the lack of hunting. Right now, Yuon meant more than his jagannath points and that pleased her.

There were, however, imperials picking through the ruins near the lift to the Jedi Temple, so Qyzen was able to gain some points after all. What was more horrifying was to discover that Imps were entrenched throughout the Jedi Temple, obviously looking for Jedi knowledge and artifacts. She was more than happy to show them the error of their ways, though few survived to benefit from that knowledge.

She took a deep breath as she looked upon the ancient table of knowledge. She settled the Noetikons on their stands and activated the table. This had to work. It had to. And it did. Nine Jedi Masters that had been made part of the Noetikons appeared before her. They explained again about the plague and what it would take to cure it. She agreed and they taught her all that she would need to know to break the connection between Yuon and the plaguemaster.

But yet again, the bad came on the heels of the good. Before they could even leave the Archive room, the sith she'd seen on the holo talking to Lars showed up.

"So eager to find a cure for your Master, you led us right to the prize. My master and I are most grateful," the sith told them with an ironic twist of his lips.

"Yuon _will_ be cured, sith. I will not let you stand in my way."

He growled and shot a stream of lightning energy into the archival table. The scent of burning and wisps of smoke did not bode well for the Noetikons.

The smile widened on his face. "No more terminal. No more ritual. No miracle healing this time," he taunted her. "Even were you to survive me, how many could you shield before it took your life? You would sacrifice your life and die unremembered just like the last jedi that learned the technique."

There was some truth in his words. "Then tell your master there is nowhere he can hide from me."

The sith chuckled. "And do what? Kill him? That is not the jedi way, now is it? The jedi way is weak and cowardly."

"The sith will always be doomed by their pride and arrogance. That is the sith way!"

Apparently, he disagreed as he shot lightning bolts at both of them and the battle was on. Three against two was not a difficult battle, but right now anything keeping her away from Yuon was a distraction she didn't need.

Just as they were exiting the temple another holocall came in. This time it was Master Syo Bakarn.

"Finally – there you are. I've been kept apprised of your situation-" He saw her waver. "Are you unwell?" he asked with concern.

Another wave of dark, cloying dizziness swept over her and she struggled to maintain her awareness. She released a slow, cleansing breath. "It felt like darkness touched me. I'll be fine," she assured him.

"Maybe you should have Attros Finn check you out as well. We do not need what happened to Yuon happening to you as well. As it is, the Council is very concerned about Yuon's health. We've been trying to contact you for hours. Did you find anything at the Jedi Temple?"

She tried to rub the ache from her forehead. "We did. I can temporarily shield her. The only real cure is to stop the plaguemaster."

Syo nodded. "Then do what you can. But hurry. Yuon is fading fast."

The holo cut off and she snapped the handheld unit back onto her magbelt. They jumped the closet taxi and took it the Senate Tower. When she reached Yuon's side she raised her hands above her master's body and created the healing barrier that she'd been taught. As the last of the energy slipped from her body her knees nearly gave out. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into her bed and sleep for a week, but she locked her legs and forced herself to stand straight.

Yuon blinked and slowly sat up. "What – what happened? I…I feel better – but you look ill. Padawan…what happened?"

"I shielded you from the person who was making you ill, but it took some of my strength. Don't worry…I'm fine," she assured her master.

It touched her that her old padawan would do so much to help her. "Thank you, and…I'm sorry. The last thing I remember clearly is your ceremony." She shook her head slowly. "I could feel someone else in my mind. Polluting my thoughts…twisting them. I wish I could give you something more, but my memory of that time is…hazy at best."

Attros Finn turned off his holo. "Pardon me. The Council wishes to speak to you."

She gently patted Yuon's arm. "Rest now, master. I will return when I can."

Now that she was no longer distracted, she felt the dark, cloying cold that threatened to blind her. She raised her hands to her temples and rubbed them as she firmly blinked her eyes.

"Herald sees jedi things?" Qyzen asked.

"I do, Qyzen. Something is very wrong, but I cannot see what it is yet. Just…layers of darkness. The darkness is blinding some of my visions." She blew out a steadying breath and squared her shoulders. "Let's find out what the Council wants."

What the Council wanted was to inform her that they believed even more Masters have fallen to the plague. They were giving her a ship and wanted her to find these Masters and shield them from the plaguemaster. She would not tell them the price she paid to shield someone. That was her burden to bear. She set the three holocrons down on the table. "I could not leave these behind in the temple. Not when so many imperials were found down there. And this…" she pulled out the fourth item. "I'm not sure what this is or if it's jedi or sith. It activates similar to a holocron, but instead of displaying a holo of its creator, it pulls you inside it. A woman is trapped in there. She plays question games, but it's her goal to make sure you never leave. Apparently, she or the relic feeds from the energy of those that are trapped within. I had to trick her to get out, so be mindful of that," she warned.

Satele studied the triangular relic. "Fascinating. I will ensure our researchers take the utmost care around it. Thank you for bringing it to us. We will ensure it harms no one else." She studied the young woman in front of her and frowned. "Come," she said and escorted her away from the others. "I can tell that something is bothering you." She remained silent a moment and then nodded. "I have seen that look in the eyes of others. You are having visions that disturb you. What have you seen?"

Lora's mouth fell open and then slammed shut. "You were not supposed to ask me that. I will not lie, so I've been put in a difficult situation. My visions became my sole purpose to the jedi in the past, so I stopped talking about them and they were eventually forgotten. There is far more I can give to the Order than just my visions."

Satele frowned. Somewhere along the way the jedi had failed this young woman. "That much is obvious. I have no intension of locking you away in the Temple. If you have learned otherwise, then we have failed you. I will not fail you, Lora, like the masters of your past. Neither would Yuon. We are here for you – do not doubt that." She placed a hand on the knight's arm. "Trust me with what you see."

Lora shook her head. "It's not that simple. Right now, I know something is wrong and it has nothing to do with the plaguemaster. Some of my visions are nothing but a roiling darkness and laughter, as if it's purposely blinding what I see. But the darkness is no less terrifying. I see so many things...most are insignificant." She looked at Satele… "You have a son. I've seen you looking at his holo and you are so proud of him. I have seen his wife….or future wife. I'm sure she would have told me if she was married. She'll be dropping in on me later and joining me on the ship."

Satele stared at the young jedi. Few knew about her son. There was no way Lora could have known about him. She'd been ready to discard the darkness vision as a reaction to Yuon's illness. Now…now she believed. Her son would be getting married. Married. She wanted details. She wanted to meet the woman, but she tamped down on those feelings. She had chosen the jedi over her son – there was no going back. She squeezed her forearm and released it. "Keep me informed if you see anything more about the darkness or anything else we can use to save lives." She lowered her voice. "For obvious reasons I should not hear about my son, but…thank you." She turned and walked away before the seer could say anything else.

She returned to her room to drop off her pack. Her next stop was a taxi. It was way past time for her to eat. She tilted her head briefly as she felt the need to turn right. She was heading into an area she'd not been to before, but she felt that she was supposed to be here. A few moments later, a body hurtled from one of the upper floors of a building and she grinned as she angled the taxi up to retrieve her soon to be guest. The taxi shuddered from the impact and she grabbed the woman with her power and yanked her into the taxi's passenger seat. "I knew you'd be dropping in on me today," she teased.

Lorianna blinked, her heart racing a like a herd of rampaging nerfs and gripped onto the door handle with a vice grip. "I can't believe you were there. I jumped – like you told me to…and there you were. How did you know? There's no way you could have known unless you…." Her words trailed off.

"Unless I saw it happen?" She laughed softly. "If I hadn't been here, the car below me would have caught your fall."

She eyed her friend shrewdly. "Right…silly of me to think otherwise." She pulled off her blonde wig and fluffed her golden-brown hair. "So, how many more nights will I be able to whisk you away for dinner?"

"Last night, I'm afraid. I'm be leaving Coruscant in the morning. The masters have given me both an assignment and a ship. I hope they've also assigned me a pilot or that the ship has one heck of an auto-pilot.

Hmmm…that sounded like something she could help with. If her superiors would not assign her to the jedi's new ship then she would be taking a well-earned leave. "Can you take me to SIS headquarters and give me a few minutes before we head out to eat?"

"Sure," she said with a strained laugh. "But I haven't eaten since breakfast – take much more than a few minutes and I might just start chewing on this hunk of metal," she said as she tapped the taxi's dash.

"I'll be quick – I wouldn't want you to spoil dinner with that kind of snack…all those extra, unwanted pounds."

True to her word, Lorianna appeared a few minutes later in a tank top, thigh length duster and jeans. She'd never seen her look quite so…dressed down. "You look…interesting,"

Lorianna laughed as she jumped into the taxi. "My name is Anna Paulo, and I'm your new pilot. I'm a tech whiz, an ace pilot and I know how to shoot a gun. Plus…I just might be able to get you into places you have no business getting into. Always nice to have an ace up your sleeve, no?"

She lifted off the ground and swung up into traffic. "You don't have to sell yourself, _Anna_. I'm just surprised they are letting you come with me." Which was true, despite the fact that she already knew the woman would be joining her.

She crossed one leg over the other and leaned back into her seat. "I didn't really give them a choice. I told them if they didn't assign me to you that I was taking a very looong leave – one that I have more than earned." She shrugged. "They'd rather have some control over me than none. Anna Paulo is one of the alias' I've not used before. I figure this might be a longer assignment, so I'm glad I'm not stuck wearing a wig and facial prosthetics. Just these films," she said pointing to her now brown eyes. "And this," She pointed to a thin, self-colored patch on her throat."

Lora glanced briefly at her neck and then returned her attention to the traffic as she lowered them down onto the landing pad. "I don't see anything, but I would imagine that whatever that is makes your voice a bit higher?"

She grinned. "That it does! My own mother wouldn't recognize my voice. A touch of makeup to make my eyes look further apart and my lips thinner…and that's all I have to do for this assignment."

"You look beautiful no matter what you do to yourself," she assured her friend.

"Sorry, Lor…I'm not into women…" she teased.

Lora just blinked. "Oh my stars! I'm not either. I'm…" she was going to say all but married.

Lorianna winked at her. "Celibate. I know…jedi are celibate. Not the life I would want to lead," she said with a shrug and then noticed her friend's red cheeks. She pursed her lips to keep from laughing. "Oh my…Or not. It would seem I'm wrong about jedi – or at least this particular jedi."

"Shhh!" she said placing her hand over Lorianna's mouth. "It's not like that!" Lie. "Well, it is like that." Truth. "We've known each other since we were younglings. We fell in love and will eventually marry. So long as we are not asked, we will remain jedi, but we are willing to leave the Order if necessary. We do not have to wear robes to help those in need. But for now, we feel we can do the most good where we are at - even if it means we can't see each other very often."

"A jedi's life is sacrifice…I get it. But...that's no fun. ALL work and NO play just doesn't seem healthy to me. But I'll shut up about it for now – just promise me you will tell me all about him when we are alone. After I scan the ship for bugs, that is."

After dinner, they went their separate ways. Lorianna had promised to meet her at her ship's hangar in the morning. Lora crawled into bed and called Cas. "You're already up, I see," she said with a grin.

He smiled back. "Would that I could join you." He raked a hand through his hair. "I'm up early because I'm on a shuttle leaving Tython. I caught Bengal Morr, saved my master and earned my knighthood. Even better – I'm coming to Coruscant. If you're still there by then…"

"The joke is on us, my love. I was able to learn a shielding technique to save Yuon and now they suspect two more masters have fallen to the mind-plague. They gave me a ship and I leave for Taris tomorrow. But at least I will not be going alone. Qyzen wished to stay with me and I met a wonderful woman who agreed to pilot the ship and shoot anyone who needs it," she said with a small smile and a shake of her head.

"I hope Master Orgus is spared. The man is like a father to me."

"I know…but you have to know that I'd come for him if he was affected. I wouldn't let anything happen to him," she assured him. She heard the wheedles and beeps from the astromech. "T7!" she said with a bright smile. "I sure do miss you, little guy! I'm glad Cas has you to help keep him safe. There's no one else I'd trust to have my man's back." She grinned at his warbles. "I know you make a great team." She listened to his beeps and whirs. "I hope I'll be able to see you again soon too."

She looked up at her lover. "Cas…Satele knows about my visions. She called me out and I – I couldn't lie. She promised she wouldn't treat me like they did when I was a child. I – I want to believe that. She never said whether she would tell the other Council members. For now, I will trust her wisdom."

He nodded. "For now, we have no choice but to trust her. Lor -as soon as we can arrange it, I want us to meet up on Nar Shaddaa. We'll wear civvies and get married like two normal people."

Her lips curled into a soft smile. "Sounds like a plan. I'll be heading to Nar Shaddaa after I leave Taris. That is where the second afflicted Master is. If you could arrange to join me…somehow…" her smile spread at the boyish grin that lit up his face.

"I'll do whatever it takes to get there. Don't…get married without me. You're my bride and I'm not letting you go."

Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. "What happens in Nar Shaddaa – stays in Nar Shaddaa."

His gaze narrowed on her. "So long as what happens in Nar Shaddaa is between you and I, I'm okay with it. I love you, Lor - I _will _see you soon."

She blew a kiss at him. "Love you too, and I'm holding you to that."

Come morning she met up with Lorianna for breakfast – No…Anna. She had to remember who and what Anna was now so she did not say accidentally say something at the wrong time. Qyzen joined them at the ship's hangar and she explained about how Anna was now their pilot and would be joining them to help them defeat the plaguemaster.

Qyzen nodded. "Better she fly ship than me."

"And me," Lora agreed. She'd been trained to fly shuttles but not starships. "But I am hoping to she'll teach me a thing or two."

"She will," Lorianna said with a soft chuckle. Her gaze roved over the ship that had been assigned to the jedi. "_Serenity_. Hmmm… looks like a Corellian Defender. Let's see what this old girl can do."


	2. A StarWars Fable-Prologue Knight

SWTOR

A SWTOR Fable

Prologue

Knight – The Chase

He held a hand out to Qyzen as he drew near the trandoshan. "I know that you hold Lor in high esteem, as do I…but Lor _sees_ more than most and sometimes what she sees can distract her. I ask only that you protect her as I would in my absence."

Qyzen's sense of smell told him far more than the pair ever did. "Is hard to separate from mate. Will guard Herald, little hunter."

He frowned as the trandoshan walked up the ramp. _Little_ hunter, indeed. Not so little when he was larger than Qyzen. He shrugged. Perhaps it was a trandoshan thing.

He watched her shuttle until it disappeared. His heart squeezed and a shaky breath slipped from his lips. They hadn't been separated since they met each other as younglings. They would each walk a new path now…but one day those paths would align again. He just hoped she would find someone she could trust enough to share her visions with. He would always be there for her via holo, but he would be too far away physically to comfort her and help her through the visions. He turned away from the shuttle pad. All he could do was trust in the force that everything would work out as it was meant to.

He met up with Master Orgus for breakfast. Today he was going back out to the Kalikori Village. He had begun trying to establish a working relationship between the jedi and the twi'leks at the village. For too long the jedi had ignored their cries for help just because they weren't supposed to settle there. That always rubbed him the wrong way. Helping them was not only the right thing to do, but he was also able to search for more information concerning Bengel Morr.

He hurried to his quarters, snapped and buckled his armor into place and hopped a speeder to the Kalikori Village. Orgus said he would be checking in soon. He smiled at Ranna as he stepped into her home. "Good morning, Ranna. Any word from Master Orgus?" The smile slipped from his lips when he felt waves of pain coming from her.

"No. I'm sorry…My mother…she found peace while you were away. I – I'm the Matriarch now"

He could hear the anguish in her voice and he felt for her. "I am sorry to hear about your mother, Ranna. But you don't have to go through this alone. You know I'm here to help you," he assured her.

Every day he surprised her anew. He was nothing like what she thought he'd be. "People who say that Jedi have no feelings are wrong. I spoke to Master Orgus right after she passed. He told me, 'There is no death, there is the force.' He believes our essence lives on when we die and merges with the Force. I hope that is true."

He turned as a female twi'lek burst through the front entrance.

"Matriarch! Flesh Raiders broke through our defenses. They did something to our crop fields! They dropped strange machines in the soil. When a scout approached one, he collapsed with sickness. He managed to crawl away, but those machines…I fear they will poison our crops!"

He held up a hand to calm the terrified woman. "Tell your people to stay away from the fields. I will comb through your crops and disable the devices."

His presence gave Ranna a sense of well-being. Since his arrival he'd done nothing but risk his life for her people. He had become Kalikori's guardian. Always there, always caring, never asking for anything in return. "Once again, I am in your debt," Ranna said, her voice humble with a hint of awe.

A young boy pointed him to where the fields were and over the next several hours, he combed row by row disabling the devices as he found them. This had to be Bengel's handy work. It was far too advanced for flesh raiders.

He pushed through the ache in his lungs. He'd had to slow his breathing just to protect himself from succumbing to the poison gas. Even so, by the time he'd rooted out all the machines and killed the flesh raiders guarding them he was fairly light headed and nauseous.

When he was finally able to return to Ranna at least his body was no longer shaking. "I've destroyed the machines poisoning your crops and eliminated the flesh raiders that guarded them. You will want to have several of the men go in and retrieve the bodies."

Ranna slowly lifted her brown eyes to meet his vibrant, bright blue eyes. "I saw how you suffered out there for us. What you did was more than just brave – it was heroic. Please take a token of my people's honor. I'm sorry it can't be more."

He smiled warmly but shook his head no. "I did not help seeking a reward. I am content with what I have. Your village needs all that it has, please do not give to me what another can use."

She grasped the heirloom tightly and lowered her hand. "You've done more than any outsider ever has. Why would you face death again and again for a people you barely know?"

"I cannot stand by and do nothing while others suffer," he assured her. The words were sincere, even if they did sound like trite platitudes.

She shook her head over all the stupid misconceptions that her people had believed for years. "So many of my people mistrust the jedi. I wish they could know you like I do." Despite his own needs, he'd helped so many of her people over the last few weeks that surely more were coming to see him in a better light. Maybe he was an anomaly amongst the jedi, but she hoped that wasn't the case. "I should go inform everyone the danger is over."

He returned home exhausted and needing to clean himself and his armor, both of which were still covered with the poison's residue.

Over the next week, he'd spent most of his days at the Kalikori Village. They'd gone without jedi assistance for too long and they were in desperate need. Still, time spent there gave him the chance to keep busy while they were searching for Bengel Morr. He needed to keep his mind and body busy or the hole in his heart ached too much. She called him almost every morning and he enjoyed waking up to the sound of her voice, but it wasn't the same. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and wiped the sweat from his brow as he finished moving a pile of rubble too heavy to move with muscle alone. With a sigh, he pulled out his holo when i chimed. It was his Master.

"I found coordinates to a number of secret camps. Once camp is in the ruins of Kaleth. I need you to return to that area and take care of that camp." Orgus sent him the coordinates. "Be careful in those ruins, we haven't explored them all. Contact me when your mission's complete. May the Force be with you."

He fought his way through the ruins and into cave until he came upon an injured jedi.

Laotah grabbed his side, stumbled a step and fell to his knees. "Padawan, turn back. Leave this place – leave me. I'm dying. Know my name: Laotah. Flesh raiders are in this ruin. More powerful than we've seen."

"I'm not leaving you. Master Orgus sent me to drive back the flesh raiders," he assured the injured man.

"No…These flesh raiders control the force." He looked around. "This place…strong in the darks side. Flesh raiders channel their hatred here, feed on the darkness. They grow powerful."

He squatted down next to the man. "I wish I had the training to heal you. But I'm sorry. I'm all there is. No one else is coming. It is my mission to push back these flesh raiders. I will not fail."

He coughed, a groan slipping from his lips. "Turn back. The enemy is too strong. They have my lightsaber..."

Casyrian frowned when he heard the last, wet, rattling breath slip from the man's lips. He rose and moved purposely deeper into the cave. The flesh raiders chose to fight rather than retreat. But each of them fell to his lightsaber. When the cave was cleared out, he called his master. "The flesh raider's camp is out of commission, Master – but they were all Force users. They killed a jedi named Laotah. What would you like me to do with his body?"

Orgus' lips tightened. Another jedi lost to Bengel. "We'll reclaim our fallen later. Just got a distress call from the twi'lek settlement. They spotted Bengel Morr! I'm on my way to the settlement. Meet me there!"

Outside the cave he hopped his speeder and flew to the village faster than most would deem safe. He was off the speeder before it had even shut down and he burst into Ranna's home. "Master Orgus responded to your distress call. I was to meet him here. What's happened?"

Ranna shook her head, not quite meeting his eyes. "Nothing. We didn't send any distress call. Things have been quiet since you left. I haven't seen or spoken to Master Orgus."

T7 wobbled back and forth. "T7 = scanning area/ Stand by… Confirmed / Master Orgus = not in settlement = not answering holocom," he chirped.

That made no sense. He absently rubbed his chin. "Master Orgus should have arrived here ahead of me."

T7 beeped. "T7 = contact Jedi Temple?"

Oh no…she couldn't let it do that. "I'm sure it's all just a misunderstanding. Your Master will turn up," Ranna tried to assure him. "Why don't you stay awhile? You must be exhausted." Her eyes widened in alarm when three of her people showed up with their guns aimed at Cas. "Stop it! What are you doing?" she demanded.

Scout chief Moorint stepped forward. "Matriarch, step aside. Handing over the boy's Master wasn't enough. This padawan has to die." He blasted the droid and turned his blaster back to the jedi.

What? Die? She watched in horror as a dart brought the big jedi down. "I told you to leave him alone! That was the pact!"

Moorint waved his gun. "Bengel Morr refused your terms. This is to save our people!"

The fog started to recede as his body burned through the sedative. He rose to his feet ready to throw up a shield if they tried that again. He trusted these people…he trusted Ranna. "What did you do to my Master? Where's Bengel Morr?"

Moorint's shoulders straightened, but no matter what he did he could never make himself as large and imposing as the jedi mountain in front of him. "If we don't do what we're told, Bengel Morr will kill us all. He wants all the jedi dead – starting with you and your Master."

He'd heard enough. Cas gave a slight wave of his hand and pushed at their minds. "You don't want to hurt anyone. You want to leave here peacefully."

Moorint shook his head and then rubbed his forehead. "I…I don't want to hurt anyone.

Saylew nodded. "We should leave here peacefully."

Eseni couldn't agree more if she wanted to. "Yes. Better that way. Here," she said as she laid her weapons on the ground and kicked them away with the toe of her boot, "perhaps you can use these. We don't need them."

"This was all a terrible mistake," Ranna said as the three hurried out the door. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. I was going to save you – save us all."

Her words bit at him like stinging insects. How could she believe anything good would come from her actions? "By betraying me? By getting an innocent man killed and giving in to the demands of mad man? What good could come from doing evil? Are your actions worth the cost of your soul?"

He was right…she hadn't understood…hadn't seen the whole picture. All she knew was one man's death could save her village. "No! you can still save him. He's not dead yet! Bengel took Orgus to someplace called the Forge. Reactivate your droid – it might know where to find them." She rang her hands anxiously. "You can forgive me, can't you?"

He closed his eyes briefly and took a calming breath before looking at her. "I don't condone what you've done. But I'm aware that desperation can make people do things they wouldn't usually do. But there is always another way, Ranna."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "My decisions will be far more thought out in the future. And I will do whatever I can to make this up to you both." She stood a little straighter. "My people should hear what's happened. It's best if I tell them. I hope you find your master…"

He watched her leave and then turned to see what he could do to get T7 back up and running. A couple of hours later he wiped his brow and sat back on his heels when he her the familiar beeps.

(Questioning beeps) "T7 = power failure? / Memory logs = missing time."

He grinned and patted the top of T7's frame. "Sorry, little buddy. You took a blaster bolt before I knew what was happening. Bengel Morr took my Master someplace called the Forge. Do you know where that is?"

(mournful warble) "Forge = restricted access / T7 = no data on location." (brief whistle) "Jedi Archive Droid A-4PO = detailed data on forge. Jedi = contact A-4PO via holo / A-4PO = transmit Forge data to T7."

He flipped on his holo, and as T7 had told him, A-4PO was willing to give him the information he needed to find the forge once it knew a Master's life was on the line.

The coordinates led them to a narrow, cliff-side path near a stunning waterfall. There were a few droids similar to the ones he fought in Kaleth earlier and he was pretty sure they'd just trekked through Flesh Raider Central at Tythos Ridge, because the trail to the forge was knee-deep in flesh raiders. Not so much anymore. His gaze followed the distant, crumbling stone staircase down to find Bengel Morr. His steps faltered. Was that…yes…Orgus. He picked up speed, uncertain how much longer his master could hold out. "Come on. T7 – it's Orgus…and Bengel."

He watched as Bengel flung Orgus against the stone steps. His master fell limp to the ground and did not rise again. He was not quite close enough to reach Bengel, but he grabbed a flesh raider with the force and flung him into the dark jedi, knocking them both to the ground. To give him a few much-needed moments to reach his master.

Bengel rose and dusted off his hands as he turned to face the man that had come to challenge him. Finally, the fool had come to him just as he'd wanted. "I sensed you coming. Your fear gave you away."

He took a calming breath as he closed in on Bengel and came to a stop. "It was not fear you felt, but compassion for my master. Do you even remember what it feels like to have compassion?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Compassion is for those too weak to act!" Bengel seethed. "You're weak, like my old Master. You will fall. With him."

His head moved slowly from side to side, his gaze not leaving the inky black depths of Bengel's eyes. "You are wrong. Compassion and mercy do not make you weak. They strengthen your heart…your resolve. Like the waves of the sea, they ripple outwards gathering strength to crush the fear and hate that would thwart them. Your fear has led you to forget all that you know."

"NO!," he said with a slice of his hand through the air. "The will of the Force guided me here for justice, to restore what the jedi lost." He rubbed his forehead, fighting to hold back the brunt of the memories that sought to overwhelm him. "You weren't on Coruscant. You never saw our greatest cut down or watched the temple burn. I escaped that destruction to see my own master surrender to the sith. They exterminated us and he gave up!"

"Perhaps his goal was simply to live to fight another day or give in so that he could locate where the others were being held. There are worlds within worlds, Bengel. You cannot know another man's thoughts by actions alone. You should have kept faith. Master Orgus would not give up and neither will I."

Bengel stabbed a finger towards the mountainous padawan. "You know nothing but jedi platitudes! The weak will be sacrificed here," he said as he waved his hand back towards the stairs leading up to the forge, "to make the Forge stronger. The Jedi Order must be reborn from the ashes…" he ignited his lightsaber. No mere padawan would stand in his way. The jedi could no longer remain weak – not if the sith were to be defeated."

With a frown, Casyrian unsnapped his practice blade from his magbelt and ignited it. "You are not the first to think his way was the only way. There is much I'd change about the jedi if I could, but killing those that don't agree with me is not one of them. You need help, Bengel." Apparently, Bengel didn't care to here that, because he his blade arched towards Cas.

"Weapons = overloaded," warbled T7 as he shot at the remaining flesh raiders.

While the nautolan was practiced in fighting, he was not as strong in the force as the padawan. Every move he made, the mirialan countered - almost before he even made the move. Add to that the man's sheer size and physical power. He knew he could not physically outfight the man. He gripped a nearby stone with the force and propelled it at the mirialan. In less time than he could blink the rock rebounded and struck him in the ribs, shattering at least one of them. He fell to one knee and thumbed off his lightsaber. A ragged breath tore from his throat as he rose on unsteady legs. The pain nearly brought him back down to his knees. "You've won – why has the force guided me to this defeat?" Comprehension flickered. Yes…now he knew. This…this was his future. "You're stronger than any jedi I've known. You could redeem the order and destroy the sith."

Casyrian glanced at his master who has still not risen, but he did not take his attention from Bengel for long. "Redeem the order as _you_ would see it? No, that's never going to happen."

Bengel ignored the buzzing words and nodded in complete understanding. Of course. Yes. Of course. It all made sense now. "I understand. You are the weapon I came to forge."

"Bengel – what you went through…it warped who you were. You need help to regain your balance," he told the nautolan gently.

Bengel shook his head, pain shot through his lung and he closed his eyes briefly. "Don't deny the truth – how else could you have beaten me? I have spent a lifetime learning the paths to power. That knowledge is yours now. Let me leave Tython and prepare the galaxy for your ascendance. I will deliver the gifts you need to claim your destiny."

"I have no desire for power or ascension or a destiny. I simply want to be left in peace to help others. You'll get the help you need, Bengel. Please forgive me." His large fist shot out, connecting to the nautolan's jaw. The man sank to the ground as if in slow motion. "Keep an eye on Bengel, T7."

He knelt over his master and gently turned him onto his back. He sent a small burst of power into Orgus. He wasn't a practiced healer, but he could handle rejuvenation well enough. When Orgus groaned and rubbed the back of his head he smiled warmly at the older human and held out his hand to help him slowly to his feet.

Orgus blinked his eyes several time willing his vision to clear up. A familiar blonde haired and green skinned face came into focus. "Padawan…I must have you to thank for being alive."

He inclined his head. "Bengel Morr is…resting quietly, Master. It would appear he did not get enough sleep last night."

Orgus rubbed his chin and chuckled when he heard Bengel's snores. "I can see that." His gaze lifted to his padawan. Casyrian was a gifted jedi and he could not be prouder of his young charge. "You've done a great thing. He deserves a second chance. The horrors he witnessed on Coruscant broke him – destroyed the gentle padawan I trained. You, however, faced a challenge beyond any trial I could assign. There's nothing more I can teach you."

He wasn't sure what he felt about the direction of his master's words. He wanted off Tython. He needed to find Lor, but Orgus had grown on him more than he'd intended. In many ways, he'd become the father he never had.

T7 rocked back and forth on its two front legs. "Jedi = big victory / T7 = congratulates jedi."

Orgus look up the crumbling steps and then back to his padawan. "All that is left is for you to enter the forge and construct your own lightsaber. There's no substitute for the weapon you create yourself. Normally, we make the padawans gather materials themselves – but you've proven enough." He opened a pouch and pulled out the components he kept there in case his lightsaber was damaged and handed them over to his padawan. "These are all physical components – the rest will come from your mastery of the force."

T7 spun a 360. "T7 = stay with jedi + keep guard."

Orgus nodded to the astromech. "I'll carry Bengel back to the Jedi Temple and get him the help he needs. Meet me there when you are ready."

He watched his master gently pull the nautolan over his shoulder. There was a slight glow of gold. The force would help his master until he could get to a speeder for easier travel. He turned and looked up the broken stairway. His shoulders squared and he began to ascend the steps. His first lightsaber. He settled the pieces onto the forge. The forge lit up with a hum of energy. Energy that snapped and crackled much like electricity. The lightsaber was basic…. but there was much he could do to personalize it later. With a grin he knelt in front of the forge. He used the force and the power from the forge to fit the pieces together like an intricate puzzle.

He rose and held his hand out, drawing the lightsaber into it. He thumbed it on and smiled as he twirled it around to get used to its heft and glide. With a satisfied nod, he snapped it on the opposite side of his magbelt as his practice blade and hurried back down the stairs to join T7. He rented a speeder at Kalikori to save time getting to the Temple.

The meeting was already in session by the time he and T7 arrived. Orgus had just informed the Council on what happened.

Satele nodded at Orgus and gave her attention to the mirialan. "This temple could have been devastated. The entire order is in your debt, Padawan. However, recent developments in the twi'lek settlement demand a response."

Orgus tilted his head and studied his former padawan for a brief moment before he addressed Satele. "Their Matriarch betrayed me to Bengel, but she surrendered herself to us for judgment. Your doing, I understand." He inclined his head to his former padawan, "Good work."

Satele looked over at the giant padawan. "You know the twi'lek's, Padawan. How do you recommend we proceed?" she inquired.

"We created instability and desperation by refusing to help them. That has to change," he responded.

Satele frowned. His words showed compassion, but is that what he truly felt? There was a niggle of doubt within her if compassion was the right path to follow. "What happened to Master Orgus is almost unforgivable."

Orgus stepped forward to defend Casyrian. "But if we do forgive – and work with them – it can only improve our communities," he pointed out. It was the jedi's lack of acknowledgment that caused this problem to begin with. He also had something else to point out. "This young…large jedi," he said with a small grin aimed at Cas, "captured a fallen member of our order and saved this temple from destruction…as well as my life. He has also constructed his own lightsaber. I see no reason he should remain a Padawan."

Satele gave a slight nod to Orgus and focused on Casyrian. "Casyrian Vahn, your bravery, heroism and sacrifice show great depth of character. You represent our best hopes for the future. You arrived on Tython a Padawan, but you leave a Knight of the Republic. May the Force be with you."

He inclined his head to her. "It is my honor to serve the Jedi Council and the Republic."

T7 rocked back and forth. "T7 = requests permanent assignment to assist Jedi Casyrian / T7 + Casyrian = unstoppable."

He grinned down at the mech and lightly patted his dome. "This little droid and I have been through a lot. We are a great team."

"Then I see no reason you should not stay together," Satele told him.

"Wait -" Orgus spoke up. "We are getting a priority signal from Coruscant. It's from Master Kiwiiks.

"Master Orgus…" the togruta in a strained voice, "…everyone…I've discovered a situation requiring further assistance. The dark presence we have long sensed is stronger here."

Maybe that is what Lor had been talking about when she sensed the darkness. "Lor believes that darkness is different than the darkness that her master spoke of."

Satele turned sharply in his direction. They were talking. How much did they tell each other? That was a concern…or soon could be. "Did she say anything else?"

"No, Master. She did not know what this other darkness was. She only sensed that it was different than Master Yuon's darkness…worse than her darkness."

She looked at Bela Kiwiiks. "Have you or your Padawan spoken to Jedi Lora Draay?"

"Briefly, Master Satele, she told us nothing more than what Jedi Casyrian spoke of. Her duties called her…elsewhere. But what is very clear is that the security of the entire Republic could be at stake," Bela Kiwiiks admitted.

Satele nodded. She hoped it was not Sith…but she had to know. "This situation calls for our very best. Master Orgus, you and your former pupil should join Master Kiwiiks on Coruscant."

"Come to the Senate Tower as soon as you can. Master Kiwiiks out."

Orgus stretched and rubbed the back of his head. Kolto had helped, but his head still felt the bite of the stone steps. He was getting to old for this. "No rest for us, son. Take a shuttle to Coruscant as soon as you wrap things up here."

He inclined his head. "See you there soon, Master."

He hurried to his quarters, packed up and talked to T7 until his eyes drifted closed. There was no time for the standard Jedi Knight party. But he didn't much feel like partying with Lor gone. T7 was enough company for the evening.

Morning came sooner than he could have wanted, but if he wanted to eat before he had to hop the shuttle, he had to get up earlier than normal. He downed a quick breakfast, and hopped the shuttle to the space station to take a larger ship to Coruscant. He received a few friendly claps on the backs and a couple of hugs, but most were still abed, so he was able to slip out without much notice.

Lor called him while he was aboard the shuttle. Every time he saw her, she took his breath away. That would never change.

"You're already up, I see," she said with a grin.

He smiled back. "Would that I could join you." He raked a hand through his hair. "I'm up early because I'm on a shuttle leaving Tython. I caught Bengal Morr, saved my master and earned my knighthood. Even better – I'm coming to Coruscant. If you're still there by then…"

"The joke is on us, my love. I was able to learn a shielding technique to save Yuon and now they suspect two more masters have fallen to the mind-plague. They gave me a ship and I leave for Taris tomorrow. But at least I will not be going alone. Qyzen wished to stay with me and I met a wonderful woman who agreed to pilot the ship and shoot anyone who needs it," she said with a small smile and a shake of her head.

Mind-plague. The jedi needed its masters now more than ever. "I hope Master Orgus is spared. The man is like a father to me."

"I know…but you have to know that I'd come for him if he was affected. I wouldn't let anything happen to him," she assured him. She heard the wheedles and beeps from the astromech. "T7!" she said with a bright smile. "I sure do miss you, little guy! I'm glad Cas has you to help keep him safe. There's no one else I'd trust to have my man's back." She grinned at his warbles. "I know you make a great team." She listened to his beeps and whirs. "I hope I'll be able to see you again soon too."

She looked up at her lover. "Cas…Satele knows about my visions. She called me out and I – I couldn't lie. She promised she wouldn't treat me like they did when I was a child. I – I want to believe that. She never said whether she would tell the other Council members. For now, I will trust her wisdom."

He nodded. "For now, we have no choice but to trust her. Lor -as soon as we can arrange it, I want us to meet up on Nar Shaddaa. We'll wear civvies and get married like two normal people."

Her lips curled into a soft smile. "Sounds like a plan. I'll be heading to Nar Shaddaa after I leave Taris. That is where the second afflicted Master is. If you could arrange to join me…somehow…" her smile spread at the boyish grin that lit up his face.

Nar Shaddaa. Nasty place from what he'd heard…but perfect for a fast wedding. "I'll do whatever it takes to get there. Don't…get married without me. You're my bride and I'm not letting you go."

Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. "What happens in Nar Shaddaa – stays in Nar Shaddaa."

His gaze narrowed on her. "So long as what happens in Nar Shaddaa is between you and I, I'm okay with it. I love you, Lor - I _will _see you soon."

She blew a kiss at him. "Love you too, and I'm holding you to that."

The smile slipped from his face when her holo vanished. He missed her.

Once they reached the space station, they boarded the _Righteous Way_ for Coruscant. Since he wasn't used to being alone, he ended up trading stories with the droid during the flight. His little buddy had been seen quite a lot. Personally, he was glad the droid's memory was never wiped. It made for a far better companion.

Bits of debris still peppered around the planet and had to be avoided as they came in to land. He preferred wild, natural planets like Tython, but he could feel the history here. Feel it deep in his bones, like a pressure. With a small puff of breath, he messaged his Master and received the coordinates of where they were to meet up.

Orgus smiled when he saw his padawan…no…former padawan. "Glad you're here, Cas. You remember Master Kiwiiks and Padawan Kira?" He motioned towards the Mon Calamari. "This is General Var Suthra and that is Doctor Eli Tarnis," he said as he motioned towards the human. "We're discussing why the Republic secretly built a planetary-scale weapon without consulting the jedi."

Dr. Tarnis cleared his throat. "My work barely qualifies as a weapon. It's the most humane military technology ever invented. With a single activation, the Planet Prison super -charges a world's upper atmosphere, turning it into an enormous ion cannon. Any starship entering or leaving the planet will be completely disabled. Perfect enemy containment without casualties."

Cas felt his lips thin and took a calming breath so that he would not show his displeasure. "In theory it sounds nice, but I'm not sure it's worth the cost. If ships are disabled in the atmosphere, won't gravity pull the ship down and slam into the planet? That would be like dropping a bomb on the planet's surface. There would be mass casualties. Can you guarantee that wouldn't happen? And if you create something that could super-charge a planet's atmosphere then if that weapon fell into enemy hands, it could be altered to destroy or burn up the atmosphere – essentially killing everyone on the planet – or it could be used to hold the planet hostage. The question is never _can_ you create the technology, but _should _you? Have you planned for every contingency that could possibly arise when you created the Planet Prison? If you had, we would not be here," he pointed out.

"Wow. Debbie downer," Kira mumbled. She ignored her Master's disapproving glare.

"My…friend raises some good questions, Padawan Kira," Orgus pointed out. His gaze slid to the Tarnis. "Well Dr. Tarnis?"

Dr. Tarnis took a step back. He hadn't expected the jedi to ask those sorts of questions. "We were about to begin field testing when this pointless debate started."

Cas' brows rose. "You would field test something without the means to disarm it?"

Bela also noticed he did not answer all of the new knight's questions. "Regardless, you've allowed the Planet Prison's design files to be stolen by common criminals."

Tarnis shook his head. "I doubt the thieves even realize what they have. Besides, the data is encrypted."

Gen. Var Suthra slipped his hands behind his back. "Our people are pursing every possible lead."

Orgus frowned and raised a brow towards the Mon Calamari. "With all due respect, old friend, don't you think it's time the jedi got involved?" He didn't give the man time to answer. "Master Kiwiiks and I must speak with the Supreme Chancellor." He nodded to Cas. "I need you here, finding those design files."

"Of course," he responded with a brief acknowledging nod. An icy shiver raced down his spine. "Do you feel that, Masters? Something is very wrong here. I can feel the darkness like a frozen pipe against my spine.

"Perhaps you are sensing the evil of the men in Coruscant's underbelly. I feel it too, Cas." Orgus assured him.

"No…" he murmured. "It's here. Close. With us."

"I'm sorry, son. I feel something is off, but I do not feel nearby darkness."

"I don't either," Bela told him before giving her attention to her Padawan. "You stay as well, Kira," Bela Kiwiiks told her Padawan. "Your security expertise may come in handy."

Galen hurried into the chamber, nodding at the two masters that passed him at the door. "General, we have a lead on the thieves."

"This is Agent Galen with the Strategic Information Service," Var Suthra informed them. "Agent, these young jedi will assist you."

Galen gave them a brief once over and then returned his attention to the General. "Thirty-two hours ago, thieves raided a military storehouse. They stole weapons, supplies and data files for the Planet Prison project. The thieves' leader slipped up – showed his face to a security camera. We identified him from our criminal database." He held up his holo to display a picture of the rodian. "Vistis, rodian smuggler, staying with the so-called Migrant Merchant's Guild. Nasty bunch of criminals."

Dr. Tarnis folded his arms over his chest and then raised a hand to rub his chin reminding himself to keep a straight face. "Why would alien gangsters rob a military storehouse?"

"I don't know…maybe for military grade weapons and secret projects?" he asked, pointing out the obvious, but careful to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. He didn't know why the masters could not feel what he felt, but he could not shake it. His found himself looking back over the room before his gaze settled once more on Tarnis.

"Impossible," Tarnis argued. "It must be a coincidence." The mountain of a jedi was causing everyone to over think things. That wouldn't do at all.

"Agent," Kira spoke up. Let's use your fancy security network to distract those gangsters. Give my friend and the thief some quality time together."

Galen held his hand up motioning his agreement. "When you find Vistis, contact me. The data files are top priority, but try to recover anything else stolen from us. Good luck, Master Jedi."

While most jedi would say they didn't need luck, they had the force. He would certainly not turn good luck away. "Thank you, agent. We will reach out to you shortly." He smiled warmly, inclined his head to Kira and retreated from the room with T7 at his side.

Kira fanned the flush in her cheeks. Wow. She didn't much care what color his skin was, the man was gorgeous. Too bad he had a flat and boring personality. Though…that could almost be overlooked.

He turned to find out what gave him the sense of being watched. All he saw was Kira walking deeper into the room. Perhaps she had wanted to speak further with him and changed her mind. But he no longer had the sense of being watched and shrugged. If she wanted to speak with him, she would. She was a very outspoken padawan.

As they strolled through the Migrant Merchant's sector, very few people gave them more than a glance. He was used to his size and the obvious fact that he was a jedi deterring people. But sometimes, groups of people would feel more secure against him and sought to test his abilities. That didn't happen here. At least not until he reached the men guarding the stolen crates. A couple ran…one received a blaster bolt in the back for leaving his post. Only one other man survived their encounter with Casyrian. He did so because he was willing to put down his weapon.

He knew he was taking a chance, but he allowed the man to leave. T7 alerted him to the life sign behind a locked door. "Do your thing, little buddy." He motioned to the door's controls. After the door slid open, its occupant was revealed. Visitis Garn, who immediate activated floor turrets.

After the turrets were neutralized, he folded his arms over his chest and quirked a brow at the rodian. "Anything else you'd like to try?"

The rodian held his hands up. "No. No. I give up! I only work for the guild part-time. I'm not dying for them. You here for something special, jedi? Take anything you want. I'll even help you steal it." Anything so long as that mountain didn't fall on him.

Casyrian withdrew his holo can called Agent Galen. "I have our thief."

Galen nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. A hard breath slipped from his lips. "Get the stolen design files and hurry back. We've had a major security breach."

Again? "I will return as quickly as possible."

"Copy that. Galen out."

"Hang on," Vistis said as he held out a hand. "You're after the data files I lifted? I knew I should have charged more for that heist!" He didn't have what the jedi wanted. Was he going to make it out of this alive now? "Let's make a deal, huh? I have the data files, but the guild already decrypted them. I transmitted a copy to my clients. But I can tell you who they were. I can tell you who hired me if you promise to let me go."

The man had a way of making him feel like a bully on the playground, but he was not in the wrong here. "Tell me about your employers and you can leave."

Hope sprang in his heart. "Really? I love jedi. You're such reasonable people. The Black Sun hired me. Them and the guild are rival syndicates, but I work both sides. My deal was to use the guild's slicer to decrypt the data files then transmit a copy to the Black Sun."

T7 beeped. "Thief = irrelevant / Black Sun = real culprit."

"Look," the rodian said in desperation as an icy cold fingered along his spine. Irrelevant often meant expendable. "You can have the data files I stole. Just let me go." He pulled the small storage disc from his MT. "Here.." he said as he shoved the disk at the jedi.

Cas' took the small disk and inserted it into his micro terminal to verify what he'd been given. The rodian had, indeed, given him the files. "Of course. I've received the files. Perhaps you should consider a career adjustment. You may go."

Relief flooded through him in hot waves, wiping away the cold that had gripped him. "You got a good heart, jedi. Think I'll go visit my friends on Nar Shaddaa…" he hurried away, not giving the jedi time to change his mind.

He nodded to Galen when the caught up to him. "I was able to get your files - but the thief transmitted a decrypted copy to the Black Sun." He pulled the small disk from his MT and handed it over to the Agent."

"Grand! Run a full diagnostic. Find out what was in these files," the agent told her. He glanced down at his MT, the corners of his mouth twitched in relief at the sight of the coordinates. "You found our stolen military hardware too. Good. We need it. I'll have someone retrieve it post-haste. While you were gone, kidnappers grabbed Doctor Tarnis. Kira led a security team in pursuit, but the kidnappers split up during the chase – hang on. Signal coming in…"

Kira popped up on the holo, her body jerking back to avoid a blaster bolt. "Agent Galen! I've got these creeps pinned down – but they won't surrender!" She dodged another bolt.

T7 rocked on his front legs. "Padawan Kira = in danger / Cas + T7 = must help."

"Don't know how long I can hold them!" Kira admitted.

Galen rubbed hi forehead. "She's in over her head."

"That – I can do something about. T7 and I will join her – send me her coordinates."

Galen sent the coordinates. "Her signal came from the spaceport. You must stop them before they leave with Doctor Tarnis"

He glanced down at the coordinates that would pin-point Kira's location. "If she reaches out to you again, let her know I'm on my way."

The spaceport had several levels. He was grateful the coordinates save him and T7 a lot of time. He could hear the blaster fire as he approached the docking bay.

"Just in time," Kira said, unwilling to show her concern or relief. "These guys get points for courage, but we're a little outnumbered. There's more than a few trigger-happy thugs in that docking bay. The kidnappers are threatening to kill Doctor Tarnis, but they might be bluffing. I'm not even sure they have him."

That meant no one had seen him with the kidnappers. "If the doctor has not been seen, then this could be a diversion or something else altogether is going on here. Either way, we are going to treat this as if he had been kidnapped. We do this the hard way."

She could not stop the heat from rising into her cheeks. She couldn't help but wonder if every inch of him was as hard as it looked. Kira – enough! You are a jedi, girl,…but I'm not dead! This was not the time to argue with herself. "Then you shouldn't go in alone. I borrowed a stealth field generator from Agent Galen's office. Makes me practically invisible. I can sneak in first, then when you attack, I can take a few thugs by surprise. What do you think?"

He did not know her well enough to know what she was capable of…besides stealing stealth generators. But he also knew that she wanted to prove herself as a competent jedi. He would do his best to keep an eye on her and keep the enemy focused on him. At least when she was visible. "I will accept your assistance, just follow my lead."

Kira grinned. "Great! Now you see me – now you don't," she said as she vanished from sight. "Oh, I like this. Now, I'll get into position and attack on your signal. Let's rescue us a doctor."

"Just remember that field generator will interfere with your ability to use the force," he reminded her.

"Yes…yes…I know. Give me a moment to get into place."

He could hear her footsteps recede, but they were more muted than they normally would have been. He waited until he sensed her stopping and then hurried deeper into the bay. Black Sun were scattered along the lower level, but far enough apart that they couldn't give immediate aid to each other.

They cleared a path to the stairs and entered the first door on the right. Three men fell to an invisible force before a blaster bolt struck Kira. He and T7 made quick work on the remaining men. One dropped down to his knees in surrender. "Watch him, little buddy. I'm going to check on Kira."

He darted over to her side and squatted down next to her. He gently rolled her over onto her back. He could feel the life within her, but lifted his fingers to her feel the pulse at her neck anyway. Strong and steady. Knocked out.

She blinked and grinned up at his concerned face. "I'm fine…just sent a shock through me. Felt rather stimulating, actually."

He chuckled and gave her a hand up. Together they returned to the man that had surrendered.

Zeer groaned. "Jedi scum," he growled. "I'll kill you…someday…"

"He sure killed my stealth generator, that's for sure," she said with a quirk of her lips. "Oh well…it was fun while it lasted. Isn't teamwork grand?"

Her sarcastic humor was refreshing. "You handled yourself well, Kira. I have enjoyed working with you," he told her.

"Wait! I need a holo of that. I want to play it back for Master Kiwiiks." Her grin faded as she looked around the room. "No sign of Doctor Tarnis. Kinda puts a damper on things. Maybe you were right about this being a diversion."

Zeer grunted. "Very smart, little jedi. We were the decoys. Now you will never see your little doctor again."

Kira's eyes narrowed on Zeer. "Is that so? Give me a minute with this guy. I'll make him talk."

Cas didn't know her well enough to know what she meant by those rather unsettling words, but he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. He motioned a hand in the human's direction. "He's all yours, Kira. Make him talk."

She grinned at Cas. "We don't need him to talk." She lowered herself to her knees and pulled on the force. "Not when I can read his mind…"

An icy ball of fear dropped into Zeer's belly. "What? Stop that! Get out of my head! Get out! The doctor's in the Black Sun headquarters. Salarr has him! Just leave me alone!"

"Good," Kira said as she rose to her feet. "I did not want to wallow through your filthy memories."

Casyrian didn't try to hide the smile that pulled at his lips. "I wouldn't have thought to try that." Especially considering it wasn't even possible to read someone's thoughts. "I should return to Agent Galen. Do you have this?" he asked.

She winked at him, thanking him non-verbally for his support. "Me and my security detail will clean this up."

He inclined his head to her and took a taxi back to the Senate Tower. The masters and Galen were already together.

"Doctor Tarnis is the least of our worries, General," Galen retorted in a frustrated grumble. "The stolen data files had details, not only on the Planet Prison – but on every weapon prototype and research facility in existence."

The general took a shocked step back. "Our most powerful experimental weapons and Black Sun has access to them?" Anger displaced his shock. "How could this happen?"

Bela shook her head. She would not let this fall into a blame-fest. "We must act quickly to secure these other weapons. Where are they?"

Var Suthra settled his hands behind his back. "Three offworld research facilities. Minimal defenses to give them a low profile. They're vulnerable."

"Master Kiwiiks and I will split up to protect two," Orgus put forth.

"I'll take the third," Agent Galen informed the general.

Orgus nodded. "Then that leaves you with the fun part – rescuing Doctor Tarnis and the copied data files from the Black Sun."

Cas chuckled. "I think I need to take you back to Tython to spend the day fishing again, Master, because I believe you've forgotten what fun actually is," he teased.

Orgus smiled warmly. Casyrian reached a part of him that had been dormant for more years than it had thrived. He never knew what Cas would be having them do when they spent time personal time together. He had done things he'd never done before. Cas had taught him a lot about relaxing and just letting go for a while. The stress relief was far better than just meditation, because it worked his mind and body in new way. It made him feel lighter…younger. It didn't matter if it was fishing, or swimming, or nurturing orphaned animals. There were so many things Cas had brought to his life. And he was grateful for every one of them. "We'll do that again soon, Cas."

Bela Kiwiiks looked between the two. If she didn't know better, she'd think their relationship ran deeper than Master and Padawan. There was a light in Master Orgus' eyes that she had never seen before. And that light got warmer when he looked at Casyrian. There was an attachment between them that felt familial. No…she didn't have time to be concerned about that right now. "Kira will stay behind, too. With Agent Galen leaving, her computer talents will be needed."

Orgus agreed with that decision. "She can be impulsive, but give her a chance. You'll make a good team."

"We have already worked together and I agree – both that we work well together and that she is impulsive. But it's nothing I can't handle." Lor could be impulsive at times as well. He and Lor balanced each other. Perhaps, he would reach a similar balance with Kira.

"My Padawan struggles with emotional attachments, as many young jedi do. Be mindful of that," Bela informed him.

"Your Padawan is safe with Casyrian." Of that, Orgus had no doubt. Despite his concern, there was another knight that had Cas' attention. Cas was far too loyal to give Kira even the slightest encouragement. No, Cas could handle Kira. Neither he nor Cas had spoken about the connection between Cas and Lor, but that connection ran deep and could not be hidden from him. The two young jedi were stronger in the force than anyone he knew. The jedi needed them. He and Yuon had watched over them from the moment of their arrival. They were both aware of the relationship, but neither brought it up to the Council. Neither of their Padawans showed any signs of falling and neither he nor Yuon thought they'd lie if they were confronted. No, they'd leave if they were pushed and the Jedi Order would hurt for their loss. No, the best course of action for now was to remain vigilant and watch. "We should go. May the force be with us all."

As the Masters filed out, Galen turned to the knight. "I'm sending you the coordinates of Sergeant Nidaljo. He is in charge of a special tactical unit of Republic soldiers that will be assigned to assist you in this matter. I'll stay until Kira arrives. Good luck, jedi."

There were Black Sun outside the Republic defense position. That did not bode well. It was disheartening to find as many dead bodies outside as inside.

"Corporal, get a kolto pack on that man. The rest of you prepare for evac!" Sergeant Nodaljo barked.

"Agent Galen has sent me. What has happened?" he inquired.

"Black Sun. They're not a gang anymore. They are an army. We were securing a parameter around their base for you. They hit back with military -grade weapons. Killed six of my men."

The corporal closed his eyes and sucked in a harsh breath. "Seven, sir. Jorin's gone."

The Sergeant rubbed his forehead. Jorin's had such great promise. Another life lost. Another family he'd have to break the unfortunate news to. "We're not equipped for this fight – not any more. With the new armor and weapons, they're unstoppable. We can't help you."

T7 whirred and beeped. "Jedi Cas + T7 = stop unstoppable every day."

Sergeant Nidaljo waved a hand slowly outwards. "Look at us. We're half-dead and they didn't suffer a single casualty. There's no hope of victory."

"You didn't have us before. You do now. If you surrender, your solders will have died in vain. Is that what you want? What about the man inside the base waiting to be rescued? You'd abandon him? This is a moment of truth, Sergeant. Do you give up and let evil win or do you stand up and fight?"

The sergeant sighed. He could not live with himself if he left now. Not and be able to look in a mirror anymore. "I'll go with you. But I won't ask my men to follow."

The corporal picked up his rifle and moved to stand next to his sergeant. "You don't have to, Sergeant. The jedi's right. We can't let those scum beat us."

Another man joined in. "Count me in. Always wanted to fight alongside a jedi," he said with a friendly grin.

"You'll need to take down the base's security network so we can get inside," Nidaljo told the jedi. "Once the network's down, we'll attack the back entrance. You take the front. We'll rendezvous in the base."

Cas nodded. "Be strong…all of you. I'll see you on the inside." Time to disable the security terminals. There were four and thankfully, they were not that far from each other. Only two were even guarded. He thought security would have been tighter, though he wasn't complaining. He continued on towards the back of the base, uncertain where he'd find the sergeant. Voices drew his attention to a room where a few Black Sun were talking to a holo of what appeared to be a sith.

"Tarnis! We risked everything for you. Stealing those data files, faking your kidnapping…this is how you repay us?" Salarr bellowed.

"Tarnis held up his hand. "You were compensated with enough weapons and armor to make the Black Suns invincible."

"Invincible?" Solarr roared. "There's a jedi carving up my base! This is your fault! We never should have trusted a sith!"

"If a jedi has come for you, Salarr, it wasn't my doing," Tarnis pointed out.

"Never trust a sith," Casyrian warned as he stepped forward. I thought your kidnapping was a ruse, but I didn't think you were sith. Intriguing. I felt something off – something dark, but couldn't pin-point where it was coming from."

Tarnis almost grinned. "Ah...so the mountain comes calling on the Sun…there must be something philosophical about that. Well, no matter," he said with a wave of his hand. "I would have preferred a more graceful exit, but you forced my hand, young mountain. You were the only one that felt my presence. I knew you would be a problem. But it doesn't matter now – you're too late. Finish your pointless battle. Coruscant's fate is already sealed."

He spun around, his blade ignited and was surprised to see a man drop behind him.

"Surender you scum! We've got you surrounded…or don't. I prefer don't," Sergeant Nidaljo warned.

Cas chuckled. "Glad you made it to the party, boys."

"Wouldn't miss it, mountain man," the sergeant teased.

"Kill them all!" Salarr yelled.

It really wasn't a fair fight. Even so, the Black Sun refused to surrender and he'd been forced to end more lives.

"Can't believe it!" the sergeant beamed a grin. "We just took down Salarr. Black Sun won't forget that any time soon. And so the mountain falls on the sun."

Casyrian shook his head, a grin spreading over his lips. "Not sure who's funnier…you or the sith. Your men fought bravely. You should be proud, sergeant."

"Thanks for pulling us together and leading the mission. Black sun will have reinforcements here soon. Any sign of the man you came to rescue?" the sergeant inquired.

Cas turned when he heard the hiss of the holo.

Kira sighed in relief. "There you are…we intercepted Salarr's holocall to Tarnis. Can't believe he's a sith. But you knew – somehow you felt him and you knew…we didn't believe." She shook her head. "But that's not the worst news. The Planet Prison prototype here at the lab? A fake."

He closed his eyes briefly, inhaled a cleansing breath. "That is why he said Coruscan'ts fate is already sealed. He intends to use it on Coruscant. Trace that holocall you intercepted. Use it to locate our sith's base of operations."

"And so the mountain descends on the base." The sergeant's shoulder shook with quiet laughter.

He shot a mock glare at the sergeant. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

"Not a chance, mountain man."

Kira bit back a laugh. Mountain man? No denying he was big. "It would seem I miss out on all the fun. But worry not, mountain man, we are working on tracing that call. We need you back at the Senate Tower. Kira out."

He ran a hand down his face. It didn't matter what others thought of his size. Lor loved every inch of him and that was all that mattered. He swallowed when his mind zigged to somewhere he didn't want to go. He cleared his throat. "Let's find a taxi, T7."

The general's fist slammed down on his desk. "A sith, working as my chief scientist! How can I defend the Republic if I can't rust my own people? Tarnis' entire engineering team vanished along with the Planet Prison. They're traitors, too!"

Casyrian held up a hand. "That may not be the case, general. Perhaps they were abducted. Regardless, sith are masters of deception. We can't know anything for certain."

"I'm certain the sith want us dead," Var Suthra groused. "Tarnis could use the Planet Prison to hold us hostage and paralyze the Repubilc." He blinked when the jedi only stared pointedly at him. His mouth fell open when he remembered the jedi's words from earlier. "If he altered the Prison's functions, he could destroy Coruscant." He eyed the jedi with a new, more desperate perspective. "You're our only hope of stopping that."

Casyrian nodded. With the masters offworld, this was his responsibility. "I'll stop him, general. But I need to know where he is."

"That's where I come in," Kira jumped into the conversation. "I traced that holocall we intercepted from the Black Sun base. Tarnis was communication from down in sector 439."

Var Suthra rubbed his aching head. "Justicar territory. Tarnis knows we are not welcome there. Justicars are paramilitary vigilantes. They took over a sector – cut ties with the rest of Coruscant. And they don't like visitors."

Kira straightened her shoulders. "You shouldn't face Tarnis alone. I may only be a padawan, but I can help." Master Kiwiiks always took things slow. She wanted the chance to prove herself and this jedi might just be that chance. He'd been willing to work with her before. If she could keep her tongue from dragging the ground, every time she looked at him, she'd be a great asset.

He did not think he'd have trouble fighting Tarnis, if it came to that. But, as before, he knew she wanted to prove her capabilities. "With this much at stake, two jedi are better than one."

T7 spun a 360. "T7 = wait here / Kira + Cas = be careful + be fast!"

Cas grinned. "I'm not leaving you behind, little buddy. We three are a team now." The happy whistles made him chuckle.

"The fate of the Republic rests on your shoulders, jedi." He held up his hand. "No pressure. May the force be with you."

"Thank you, General. Let's find Tarnis."

"Have you fought a sith before?" she asked she watched him raise T7 into the hatch and then settled in next to him in taxi.

He shot her a smile before he focused on driving. "No, but nor am I worried."

She lifted a hand to feel what she knew she would not be able to feel. "If anyone else had said that I'd think they blowing jedi steam up my…robes. But I can feel the force in you. It's like a thick blanket wrapped around you. I've never felt anything like that before."

"It has been with me so long that I've forgotten that its always there. No one has ever described the feeling to me before. To me it is a warm pressure that hugs me from the inside," he felt his cheeks warm, but there was little he could do about it. "Lor is stronger in the force than I am, though I doubt she'd admit it. We were sent to Tython to train with the strongest masters in the jedi order because of our connection to the force," he said with a shrug.

"Lor? Wait – Lora Draay? I remember hearing about her. She saved her master, right? Some kind of jedi prodigy?"

A soft grin settled on his lips. "Yeah, that's her." He settled the taxi down on the landing pad and helped lower T7 to the ground.

"Cas + Lora = best match. T7 = misses Lor."

He gently tapped the droid's dome. "I know, little buddy. So do I."

She could tell he was closing down and wouldn't be open to more questions right now, but could be patient...most days…once in a while, she amended. "Are we going to tear through every inch of the Justicar territory?"

"No. I know where we need to go," he said quietly.

"How?" she asked point blank.

"I focus on what I want to find and then I know where I need to go," he told her.

"Then where are we going?"

His cheeks warmed again. "I can't give you exact coordinates. It doesn't work like that. I simply follow the pull of the force. It shows me where to go."

Oh. Gorgeous but odd. She could live with that. She was odd too, by jedi standards. "Similar to a game of hot and cold. I get it. Weird. But I get it. Is that how you caught Bengel?"

"No." He rented them both speeders. He handed her a helmet and slipped one over his head. "We've got a ways to go."

"Wait – why didn't your locator _gift_ work on Tython?"

"Something was interfering. Or – or maybe it was just me." He slid onto his speeder and started it up. He was unwilling to tell her that he was emotionally drained after Lor left Tython. He supposed that played a heavy hand in the dip of his abilities. Or maybe it had something to do with the dark that was bothering Lor on Tython.

She was surprised that none of the justicars opposed them. Cas was very large, but she doubted that is what held them back. Numbers could defeat even the largest of men. Except they were also jedi. Maybe the justicars, or at least the ones they'd passed, didn't want to risk a fight with jedi. Hard to say.

She set her speeder down next to his and removed her helmet to look around. "This is a med bay and I certainly don't see the Planet Prison anywhere. That's not good."

Jonkan blinked his hazy eyes when he looked up to see jedi. He reached a hand out towards the pair and nearly fell over onto his face. "Jedi! We've been such fools. Tarnis – he's a sith!" Pain washed through him and curled up tighter on the ground. "He tricked us. Said you jedi were going to shut the project down. We brought Tarnis the prototype. He turned on us. Killed everyone."

He knelt down next to the human and sent a wave of rejuvenation into him. "Hold on. I'm not a healer, but I can get you into one of those kolto tanks."

Jonkan inhaled a much-needed breath. A momentary breath would never be enough. "No time. Tarnis will use the Planet Prison. The prototype creates a massive heat signature when activated. Run a thermal scan. You'll find Taarnis. It needs time to build up power. Enough…time for you to – to destroy it. Save…save Corusca…"

Kira shuddered at his wet, death rattle. "Poor man. He didn't deserve this. Come," she said as she tugged on his hand. Heat flooded into her cheeks when she realized she'd taken his hand. She dropped his hand and turned away from him. "I'll run a thermal scan from this terminal."

Her cheeks heated up even more when T7 beat her to the terminal. Now, things were more awkward. She risked a side look at Casyrian. He did not look in the slightest put out or disgruntled or anything really. Maybe he hadn't even noticed. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about that. She was pretty sure she was both hurt and relieved that he didn't seem to notice.

"There!" she said pointing to the holoscreen. Sector 167. Oordinates 8863…Oh, you've got to be kidding me. The signal's coming from the ruins of the Jedi Temple."

"Of course. We get a sith with a twisted sense of humor. Didn't know the doctor had it in him."

Kira grinned. "Seems you are more than you appear, Cas. I didn't know you had a sense of humor either. Maybe we'll get along better than I thought.

T7 rocked back and forth. "Jedi + T7 = remove sith from temple."

"That's right, little buddy."

"The temple ruins are in a hazard zone called _The Works_. There's an old elevator down to The Works near here. But – just so you know…People go in but don't come out," Kira warned.

"We can handle the Works and the sith, Kira. And just so you know – The Works can't hold us."

"Right," she said. "Then let's do this." Especially, before she did something stupid like kiss him. Did he have to be so beautiful? What man had a right to be beautiful? And those muscles…stop it, Kira! Head in the game. Sometimes she just didn't feel like a very good jedi. She could only hope that wasn't because of her past.

They located the lift and took it down into The Works. The moment they stepped out, Kira wished they could turn right back around. "Our robes are going to smell like sewage and droid oil for weeks," she grumbled.

"Silver lining, Kira – you're not a cathar. Take the wins you can," he teased.

He had a valid point. It would smell 200 times worse if she were a cathar. "Right. Point taken. Let's do this."

There were a plethora of droids that attacked them, but other residents seemed to prefer to stay out of sight. It wasn't until they took another lift to the old Jedi Temple speeder pad that reality took a hard shift to the right. Imperials were scavenging through piles of rubble. With little more than a warning he and Kira took every last imperial down without a word to each other.

When the last imp fell they entered the lift to go down to the temple. Both understood that they would find more imps in the temple below. She looked up at him. "Cas – we're doing this…right?"

He nodded. "Every last one, Kira."

And they did…at least the few left standing – all except for one. One imperial trooper was fighting off a squad of other imperial troopers who had him surrounded. Interesting. Cas gathered the energy around him and launched himself into the air, coming down on one of the trooper's shoulders. The weight combined with the height of the fall broke the trooper's collar bone on both sides and dislocated both shoulders. "Oopsie," Cas teased as he back flipped off the downed trooper and cast his lightsaber out to take out another opponent.

T7 spun in a circle when the last trooper fell. "Imperial = not bad?"

Cole pulled up on his helmet and tossed it to the side. A hard kick sent the helmet crashing into a pillar. He then removed his armor piece by piece and dropped it to the debris laden floor.

Kira arched a brow and tried not to smile. "Well, this is getting very interesting. Is there a reason you are getting naked? Not that I mind."

Cole looked up at the woman, his cheeks growing warm. "Sorry, ma'am. I did not pay much attention. I would normally not strip to my knickers in front of the fairer gender, but I cannot abide by this armor a moment longer." When the last piece fell to the ground a long, slow cleansing breath slipped from him. He looked down at his under-armor. Nothing screamed imperial. "My name is Cole Draek. I have been trying to defect for years, but this is the first time I've been on a Republic world."

Casyrian looked around at the other bodies strewn throughout the temple. "That is your handiwork?" he inquired with a wave of his hand."

Cole glanced around, a grin twitched at his lips. "As much mine as yours, I imagine. I could not let them destroy this world or hold it hostage. I could not think of a better gift to the Republic than to destroy the enemies that meant it harm."

Cas removed his belt and shrugged out of his armored robe. The man was not as large as him, but the robe had always been too short. "Here. It will provide you some protection. We are not done here." He picked up his belt and fastened it around his waist. "My name is Cas, this is Kira."

Cole pushed his arms through the robe and felt the comforting weight of the armor fall on his shoulders and back. He retrieved his belt from the pile of discarded armor and belted the robe to keep the armor from sliding around. Now it was obvious why the jedi wore his belt on the outside of his robe. "Thank you for you most generous contribution to my wardrobe."

"Notice he doesn't speak with an Imp accent?" she pointed out.

He bowed to her. "Now, my lady, you wound me. It would be far safer for me to speak as you do, yeah?"

"Ah…there it is. You hide it well, Mr. Draek. If I had not seen you in Imperial armor, I never would have guessed you were an Imp."

He winked at the woman. "Since we spilled blood together, the least you could do is call me Cole. Now…we have a sith to find, yeah? Follow me. He came this way." His gaze lifted to the very large jedi. "Glad you could make, by the way. I did not relish taking on Sir Sithalot on my own," he admitted.

"Sir Sithalot," she repeated with a laugh. "I like him. Can we keep him?"

"He's not a puppy, Kira."

"True," Cole grinned. "I'm housebroke. I have no intention of remaining a soldier. That part of my life is over. So, I do not mind being kept, Cas. I have no home, no family and no job. If I can lend my arm to your cause, then I will do so. And if working for the jedi tweaks a few Imperial noses, all the better."

"Are you willing to tell us everything you know about what the Imperials and sith have planned?" Cas asked curiously.

"No," Cole stated with a firm shake of his head. "I'm a defector not a traitor and I will not behave dishonorably. I would no more spill your secrets then I would theirs."

"I am okay with that," Cas returned. In fact, he was relieved. He did not think he'd be able to trust a man who was a traitor to remain loyal. "Let us pay Sir Sithalot a visit."

"Right on, mountain man – lead the way…Cole."

Cole held up his fist as they approached a room. "That's Sithalot," he murmured. "I'll play backup with the droid on this ride. Not looking forward to the whole…strangling bit. Good luck."

They moved silently closer.

"I'm departing Coruscant soon, father. The Planet Prison deploys in minutes. The Republic will have no choice but to surrender."

Darth Angral's smile was slight, but there. "You return to me a hero of the Empire, my son. Our victory is complete."

"Don't you just hate coming so close to victory and failing?" Casyrian asked as he approached the sith. "I bet that really stings. Hope daddy doesn't mind. If there's any surrendering to be done, it won't be Coruscant," he said pointedly.

Lord Sadic took a step forward, his finger pointed to the intruders. "What's this, Tarnis? Loose ends? For shame."

Tarnis' eye twitched as he turned to face the intruders. "Have you come to die, jedi?"

Cas crossed his arms over his chest. 'I've come for your surrender."

He grabbed his lightsaber and ignited it. The red blade snapped out with a hum. "Then you will fail…again. I've been one step ahead of you from the start and now you're too late. Pathetic. I am no _mere _sith. I am a sith_ lord_. And you will learn what fear is before you die." He did not want to be here. The jedi in front of him was massive and steeped in the force. Due to his father watching he could not even hope the jedi would walk away. No, his only hope was that he could psych the jedi out. Fear and doubt weakened people.

Darth Angral looked at the four that faced off with his son. A droid, and what could possibly be three jedi. One of which was impressive by any standards. He wanted to think his son could handle it, but the odds were stacked against him. "Channel your rage, my son."

"Your blood flows through my veins, father. They are already dead," Tarnis replied. Why was that behemoth filth not raising his lightsaber? Only after his lightsaber was arching towards the filthy alien did he ignite his own lightsaber and raise it in defense.

Cas waved the others off. This was his fight. "Just you and me, Tarnis. Is it a blessing to only have to fight one man or a curse to fall to only one man?" He deflected a bolt of lightening with his lightsaber. "I will give you one more chance to surrender," he said quietly as he batted away another lightsaber attack. "Though, I suppose with your father watching you will not do as I suggest."

Tarnis knew the man was merely playing with him and that infuriated him. "Arrogant, alien filth! You should have been drowned at birth. I'll make you wish you had been!" he lunged towards the much larger man, hoping the giant did not kill him too quickly but too proud to ask the alien to make it look good. Sorry, father. I tried.

Cas held out a hand and the sith's lightsaber was ripped from the sith's hand. He caught it, thumbed it off and tossed it to Cole. "Will you surrender now?"

Tarnis held out his hand towards his lifesaber, expecting to feel it in his grasp, but instead felt his body propelled through the air and a flash of deep burning pain before he was sucked into the dark.

Cas thumbed off his lightsaber and lowered the body to the ground.

No! White hot fury slammed through the Darth when he felt the death of his son. What he felt was far stronger than anything his eyes could see. "Jedi filth…" Darth Angral growled. "You've killed my son."

Lord Praven folded his arms over his chest. "He'll pay with his life, my master. I swear it."

Angral's lip curled up in a snarl. "You have no idea what you've unleashed, jedi. There's no place in the galaxy to hide from my wrath."

"I have no intension of hiding. Meet me, man to man and we will finish this – _if_ that is what you wish," Casyrian stated calmly.

"No! Death is too quick for you. I want you to suffer! I will inflict unimaginable suffering on your people. Billions will die because of you! My son's death will be avenged on the entire Republic – and you will bow down before I let you die."

"I won't let you do that," Cas warned.

"You cannot stop me! Tell your pathetic Masters that Darth Angral has returned. This time…there will be no mercy."

Kira blinked when the holo cut off. "Such a charmer. I miss him already."

"If you find him charming, clearly you have been dating the wrong kind of men," Cole teased.

"How about no men? I'm a jedi – attachments aren't allowed," she pointed out drolly.

Cole winced. A jedi's life was harsh and lonely, it seemed. "Ouch. Sorry, Kira."

"Somedays, so am I," she mumbled under her breath. "The Planet Prison is officially scrap metal. Looks like we saved Coruscant."

"I couldn't have done it without you, Kira." He could have, but that wasn't the point. She needed to gain faith in herself as a strong jedi and he wanted to make sure that happened. "Now, what do you say we get out of here?"

"As much as I'm enjoying these toxic ruins, I couldn't agree more."

Cole chuckled. "The sarcasm just drips off this one," he teased, motioning to Kira with his thumb. "I have to admit you both have surprised me. I thought jedi were basically dullards that spouted off ancient wisdom."

"You aren't wrong in that assumption, Cole. Mountain man, here, has surprised me and I didn't think that was possible. Most padawans have gotten the dull down pat by the time they become jedi knights. Maybe that's what I'm doing wrong."

"That's not true, Kira. Most jedi try to act like a preconceived notion of what a proper jedi should be in public. But if they trust you, they are far more likely to be themselves around you – at least in private." He smiled. "I remember a particularly funny late night with my master, Orgus. We drank too much wine and ended up in a food fight in the kitchens. We barely made it back to our rooms before we heard the cooks yelling."

She pulled to a stop at the taxi lot. "Wait – you are joking right?" She saw the warm glimmer in his bright blue eyes and knew the memory meant a lot to him. "You're not kidding. I can't believe Master Orgus did that. I can't imagine Master Kiwiiks ever…no," she shook her head, "not ever."

"Have you tried to spend any down time with her? Having personal talks with her the things you both enjoy for hobbies? Have you invited her out to do something fun with you?"

"No. My time is my time. I need a break from meditations and studies once in a while."

"There you have it. I was willing to give up some of my me-time to strengthen my connection to Orgus. I do not regret a moment of that time." He pointed to the single four-seater taxi. "I think that would serve us best right now."

"Good. Because I don't know either of you well enough to sit in your laps," she teased as she hopped into the front seat next to Cas. Cole Draek was good looking with his black hair and teal colored eyes, but he was no Cas.

"Follow me," she said as soon as the taxi touched down. "There are unclaimed items at the port that become donations. We can get you some proper clothing."

He nodded. He was certainly not arrogant enough to demand new clothing. "If I am to fight at your sides, I will need some kind of armor as well."

"If we do not find armor among the donated clothing, I will see about getting you something. You will be working with the jedi, it is the least we can do." Cas meant every word. If the Masters did not agree, then he would purchase armor from his own funds.

They managed to stun him again. Armor did not come cheap. When he was given his trooper armor, he'd had payments for it deducted from his pay. "You are nothing like what I expected. We grew up on horror stories of the jedi, but what I found most disturbing is that no matter what I'd been told about jedi, the sith were always far more terrifying."

Horror stories about jedi. She couldn't imagine anything funnier or further from the truth. "Just wait until we sprout fangs and rip open your throat. That's almost as fun as eating babies. But the babies must be marinated in corellian white-wine sauce."

"Kira…," Cas warned. "She's obvious playing with you. Babies need to be slow roasted on a rotisserie and basted with buttered corellian rum."

Cole burst out laughing. "You two are so twisted. I love it."

Kira quickened her steps. "Over here." The door slid open and she hurried into the Unclaimed room. "Good, the clothing has been sorted, but it hasn't been sent to the Donations store yet. "Pick out a weeks' worth of clothing and some shoes." She scanned the room, her smile widening. "Here's a duffle back you can fill."

Cole unbuckled his belt and handed the jedi back his armored robe. He didn't even glance at Kira when he pulled off his under-armor and stuffed it in the duffle and the slid into civilian clothing. He pulled on a pair of socks and stepped into a pair of boots and felt at least one hundred times better. He filled the bag and then laid the lightsaber he'd been handed on top. He'd had to leave his weapons behind in the Jedi Temple. They were Imperial made weapons and would cause far too much speculation. "Thank you, I'm ready."

Cas used the terminal to transfer a few credits for the clothing. "I'll see to it that you have armor and weapons, Cole. For now, we will stop off at my room. You may store your bag there before we return to the general."

It was surreal that this jedi would trust an Imperial defector enough to take him to his quarters. Not that he was foolish enough to try anything surrounded by jedi. No, this was a new chance at life and he wanted to take it.

They entered the Senate Plaza and Cas showed them to his room. "It's very late. We'll eat and bunk down for the night after we talk with General Var Suthra."

Kira looked around in surprise. "This is your room? And you don't have to share it?"

"Well, I am sharing it," he said with a grin as he motioned to Cole.

"No, I mean padawans share barracks. You are so lucky."

"I suppose I am, at that. Just focus on the goal, Kira. You'll be a knight before you know it. Now…let's go, before I can't maintain control of my baby eating urges," he teased. His belly growled and he laughed. "See? I haven't eaten since breakfast and you both are starting to look like bantha steaks."

"Okay, mountain man. No more delays." She laughed softly. "I bet you eat enough for two men."

He nodded. "Three, actually."

There was a discussion already in progress when they entered Var Suthra's office.

"No one saw this coming, Master Satele – not even the Jedi Council," Var Suthra pointed out.

"We sensed it for weeks, General. If you'd told us of your secret project, we might have averted this disaster," she responded, not giving an inch.

The Mon Calamari looked up and smiled. "There he is – the hero of Coruscant. Welcome back, son."

Cas inclined his head. "General. Coruscant is safe, but I had to destroy the Planet Prison and kill Tarnis."

"Yes, we heard," Satele replied. "We also know Tarnis was the son of Darth Angral."

Var Suthra bobbed his head. "Republic comm channels are being flooded with threats form that maniac vowing revenge."

"Darth Angral personally led the forces that sacked Coruscant in the last war," Satele told Cas.

The general nodded again. "He was furious when the Emperor signed the treaty. Looks like he's back to finish what he started. The Empire has formally disavowed Darth Angral's actions, saying he's gone rogue. It's a lie, of course, but the Senate refuses to authorize a military response."

"For good reason," Satele cut in. "Neither the Republic nor the Jedi are prepared for another war. We would lose. Billions would die."

Var Suthra grunted. "And if the enemy turns our weapons against us, billions will die. Tarnis transmitted details of all our top-secret projects to his father. We traced that transmission to the planet Ord Mantell. Darth Angral must have a base there." He motioned to Cas. "I need you to find it."

"Master Orgus senses greatness in you. So do I," Satele informed him. "The mission is yours."

Oh no…she was not going to be left behind. "I'm going to," Kira jumped into the conversation. "Master Kiwiiks left me here to help Cas."

"Agreed," Satele responded a dip of her head. "Take Kira, Cas. Train and protect her like she's your own padawan."

He inclined his head. "Of course, Master. I also wanted to introduce you to Cole Draek. When we went to the old Jedi Temple ruins, we discovered it was overrun with Imperials. Cole managed to take down most of them by the time we arrived. We worked well together and he's pledged his arm to my cause."

Satele nodded. "I cannot allow Imperials to remain in the Jedi Temple. I will send several knights to guard the ruins and ensure the Imperials do not return. As for Mr. Draek, he may prove useful to you. You are too strong in the force to hide your presence. He would be able to infiltrate areas you would not be able to. I will trust your judgement concerning Cole Draek. See that he is properly armored before you leave. I must inform the Council of these developments. Travel safely, Casyrian. May the force be with you."

Var Suthra shook his head with the holo blinked out. "I had thought Tarnis was only Imperial on Coruscant. To know that the Imperials are infiltrating the heart of the Republic is unacceptable. I will see that underbelly of Coruscant is searched. Thank you for alerting us, son." The general stepped forward and clapped Cas on the shoulder. "I have one of our best starships waiting for you at the space port. I will send your droid ahead to ensure it is ready for takeoff in the morning. I know it's late…" He grinned when Cas' belly growled again. "Grab some food and tuck in for the night. You'll be leaving after breakfast. You should know there's a civil war on Ord Mantell. It's a no -fly zone. Dock at the orbital station there and contact me. Good luck."

He invited Kira back to his place and they all ordered room service. It was far too late to dine out and the places that were left open were not places he cared to visit. He rose from the sofa briefly to order a set of armor, a sniper and automatic rifle from jedi requisitions to be sent to his new ship. He then removed his armor in his bedroom and threw on a tunic and breeches and rejoined them in the living room.

"You know, I thought you'd look smaller without your armor," Kira teased as she took another sip of her wine. "You are still a big, beautiful, green mountain." She blinked. "That was the wine talking. And you shouldn't listen to wine, because that's just crazy talk." She sat her wine glass on the table because she'd already had too much if she was running off at the mouth.

"No," Cole teased with a wink. "The wine was telling the truth. It does that on occasion, don't you know. I'm a man and even I can see that Cas is a big, beautiful, green mountain. Of course, he's not a mountain I'm ever going to climb. I'm a lady's man." He clapped Cas on the arm and laughed until his belly ached.

He knew his cheeks were turning golden thanks to the flush of blood. "You know, for that remark, you two are now sleeping on the sofas and I am going to stretch out in my bed…alone."

Kira pulled one of her knees up against her chest and wrapped an arm around it, laughter causing her shoulders to shake. "Oh, Cas…I think Cole and I both know you would never fit on the sofas. I was going to head back to the barracks, but," she said as her foot found Cole and she gave him a shove, along with a small boost of power, to kick him off the sofa as she stretched out, "this looks comfortable to me."

Cas rose and retrieved two pillows and blankets from the closet. He set one pair down on the sofa Cole was now sitting on then he lifted her head and slid the other pillow beneath it. With a flick of his wrists the blanket settled over her and he tucked it in slightly. "Are you sure about this?" he asked gently. "I was just teasing. You really can sleep in my bed."

She absently brought her hand up and it settled on his chest. His very broad…very muscular chest. She gave him a small shove to stop her hand from exploring every breathtaking inch. "Go away. I'm already asleep."

He turned to ask Cole if he wanted the bed, but Cole was already wrapped up in the blanket he'd put on the sofa.

"I wasn't going to wait for you to tuck me in too," he chuckled. "Go to bed, Cas. I'm better than fine right here. It's the first night in a very long while that I'm not sleeping with a bunch of men. Let me enjoy it while I can."

Casyrian raised his hands in surrender. "Fine…fine. I'm going to bed." His holo chimed softly. "I'll see you two in the morning." When his bedroom door slid shut behind him, he flipped on his holo. "I didn't expect to hear from you this early, but you are a sight I will never tire seeing."

She smiled. "I'm on Taris now – different time zone. Cas - I need to feel you in my arms. This being away from you – it hurts. I was hoping time would make it easier, but it only gets harder."

"I know, Lor – I feel it too. After our missions are complete, we will walk our own path…together. We can help those in need without losing each other. Tell me you will walk that path with me."

"You don't even have to ask…I will always be with you Cas." She looked around. "Give me a moment."

She disappeared from view, but actually did return in little more than a moment. Regardless, it gave him time to lay down on the bed.

"I had to make sure the door was locked." She slowly unfastened her shirt and dropped it to the floor. "Do you know how badly I want you right now, Cas? I want to feel the warmth of your skin against mine." She dropped her bra on top of her shirt. Her hands lifted to caress her breasts, her nipples drawing tight. I want to feel the rough pads of your fingers skimming down my body." She rolled her nipple between her fingers. "I want to feel the heat of your mouth suckling at my breast."

"Lor…" He could bare get her name out past the tightening of his throat. "You are torturing me." Indeed, she was. He was hard and aching and she was so very far away. Not to mention the two people sleeping not too far away.

"Not this time, Cas." She lowered her pants over her hips and wriggled them down until she could step out of them. She kicked them aside and trailed her hands down to the edge of her panties. "I'm so wet for you right now, Cas. Her fingers hooked under the band and slid the panties down her legs. She sat down on the sofa and spread her legs. "Can you see me, lover?"

"Yes…by all that is sweet and beautiful in this world…yes…" He groaned. "But you are wrong – this is torture, my love…but the sweetest of tortures."

She shook her head while her hand slipped down her belly to the slick folds below. A moan whispered from her lips as she stroked over the swollen nub. "I would give almost anything to feel the magic of your tongue right now."

"And I would give anything to taste you." Oh hell, anything. His body was trembling with a need that nearly over powered him.

"Take off your clothes, lover. I want to see every magnificent inch of you." Her hips undulated of their own accord as she rolled the nub between her fingers. A soft cry escaped her lips.

They'd never quite gone this far over vid before – well, they knew what each other was doing, but seeing it… After the slightest hesitation he discarded his clothing as fast as he could. His breathing grew harsh as he watched her pleasure herself. And sweet hell, nothing had better stop her because he needed to see the look on her face when she came. "I want to make you come…"

"You might not be touching me, but just thinking about you…seeing you – don't ever think you aren't making me come. But I need more. Pleasure yourself for me. I need to watch you come for me. Your pleasure gives me pleasure." She watched her lover's hand glide over his straining arousal. His groans and hitching breaths brought her closer to release. "Oh, yes…like that. You are so beautiful, Cas."

"Come for me, baby…I need to see you come…" He'd had to squeeze himself to keep from coming once already. But he didn't want them to come at the same time. He didn't want to miss watching her. His gaze remained locked on her face as her body stiffened. His heart fluttered when she cried out his name and her hips ground against her hand. She had not closed her eyes and severed their connection. Instead, she shared her soul with him and he would share his with her. "You are breathtaking and you are mine."

She lowered her hand and slid her fingers into the heat of her spasming core. "I need to feel you inside me, Cas. Stretching me…filling me so full. Thrust harder, Cas…don' t hold back. Fill me with your seed." Another cry tore from her as she thrust her fingers faster, grazing the tips over the sensitive spot inside her.

His harsh, ragged breaths and swelling arousal told her he was on the edge and about to splinter. She watched his straining neck, his Adam's apple bobbing and the harsh lines of a pleasure that bordered pain etched on his face as her name ripped from his lips in time with the burst of seed from his swollen shaft. But it was his gaze, locked to hers that showed a euphoric pleasure and love that took her breath away. She fell into the abyss as another orgasm rippled through her.

He was glad he had this moment with her. But it was not complete. It could never be complete until he was able to hold her against him as their bodies came down from the pleasure. He used his shirt to wipe away the evidence and tossed it onto the floor. "I should be holding you right now. It feels…incomplete without you in my arms," he admitted.

"I know," she said softly. "I don't regret the memory – I couldn't regret anything I did with you. But I'm not sure…I don't think I could do that very often. And you're right…incomplete. Nothing feels as good as you do, Cas."

"I can think of one thing…" his gaze dropped to the exposed heart of her. "You're still swollen."

She rubbed her thighs together to quell the ache that still wanted him. "And you are still naked and aroused, which means I still want you to make love to me. So, tell me about what happened on Coruscant to take my mind off of it."

He told her everything, leaving nothing out. "Right now, we're only cleaning up the mess left behind until we find out something more about Darth Angral's whereabouts. But we'll find him. My larger concern is you. I know you have a need to help people. And I need you to promise me that you will never forget that you are people too. Know your weaknesses – not just your strengths. Know when to say enough. I don't want that shielding technique to kill you, Lor. If you die, then everyone you shielded will suffer again along with the people they will hurt. If you die…" But he could say no more. The tightness that banded around his chest made it impossible to draw in even the shallowest of breaths.

She understood his pain. The thought of him dying…she locked the thought away before it could make a foothold. "I promise you I will be mindful of my limits, Cas. If you breathe then I live – so breathe."

He swallowed hard and inhaled sharply before he could manage a nod. "I'll keep breathing so that you can live – but I expect you to do the same. I couldn't survive a life without you in it."

"Cas -" She didn't know why she was trying to change his mind, when she felt the same way.

"Lor – I wouldn't want to. I want to die with you so that our souls can find each other in the next life. You know that."

"I know – I just don't like to think about…" she shook her head. "That is the last thing I should be thinking about when I'm looking at the only man in the galaxy that can make me drool. A very sexy…very naked…incredibly mouth-watering man." Her gazed lowered down his chiseled abs to his thickening shaft. "A man ….who is even now rising to the occasion."

"Not hard to do when I'm thinking about you…or when you look at me like that. Did you find out the name of the Master on Taris that you are searching for?"

She yawned. "Sorry…His name is Master Cin Tykan. Tykan is missing, but his padawan, Aris, is there. I am hoping she will give me some clue to how he's been thinking and feeling recently."

"Lor, my forever love, go to bed. I love you. I will talk to you tomorrow."

"I love you, Cas. Sweet dreams…of me."

He chuckled when the holo flickered off. There was little doubt that his dreams would be far more sexy than sweet.

Come morning, Kira dashed out his door to go get ready for their departure. He and Cole ate breakfast, packed up and headed to the spaceport. His ship was in docking bay 64. Cole followed him up the ramp and they were met with a service droid called C2-N2, who gave them a brief tour of the ship. He was pleased to note that there were two crew quarters separated by a lounge area in the middle. So, Kira would have complete privacy…unless other women joined their crew. Cole, due to his experience level, would be his XO, thus having the XO cabin. And, apparently, his pilot as well.

"I was a pilot before I became a trooper. When I found out pilots rarely leave the ship, I knew I'd never be free that way. Getting my boots on the ground was my only hope of ever seeing freedom. But I never thought Coruscant was where I'd find it." He chuckled as he tossed his bag on the bed in his new cabin. "Are you sure you want me to take this cabin? Perhaps, Kira..."

Cas clapped the man on the upper arm. "It's yours, Cole. As talented as Kira is, she's had no command experience. She is not qualified to be an XO…you are."

Cole nodded as he studied the jedi. "Hey, boss – er…Cas," he amended when he saw the dour look in the jedi's eyes, "I didn't mean to overhear….anything last night. I – well, I needed to visit the refresher…and…never mind -it's not my business. We are all entitled to happiness."

"Thank you," Cas responded. He would not have denied the relationship, but he was also glad at being relieved from having to admit to it at this time.

T7 rolled to a stop. "T7 = good to see you. T7 + ship = ready to depart."

Cas grinned and rubbed the mech's dome. "We're waiting for Kira -"

Kira leaned over T7 to peek into the room that Cole and Cas were in. "Then wait no longer. Do you know that droid of yours – that new droid of yours will talk your ears off? I had to chase one of mine into the kitchen." She swiveled her head to look Cole up and down. "So, you are the XO and the pilot. Is there anything you can't do?"

One corner of Cole's lips pulled up into a half grin. "I can't use the force and I can't sew a straight stich no matter how many times I've tried – so don't ask me to stitch you up if you get hurt…it will leave an ugly scar."

"Good to know," she said dryly. "C2 showed me to my…quarters. Guess if I get sick of the view I can always hop on a different bunk."

"Silver lining," Cas teased. "There is always a silver lining…even if you have to squint to see it." He gave Cole a small push towards the door. "Come on, pilot – let's get this bird in the sky."


	3. A StarWars Fable-Prologue Smuggler

SWTOR

An Old Republic Tale

Prologue

Smuggler – Hunting the Vista Fox

Ord Mantell

Great…just great. Here to dump her cargo and the damned planet is a warzone. She mentally cracked her knuckles, sighed and rolled her ship through the torrents of fire. All in a day's work. But it had better be worth her while. She didn't often make gun runs and she wanted them off her ship. She settled her ship down on the landing pad and checked her blasters as she left the cockpit. Deliver, get paid and get the hell out of dodge. She was not going to get cornered into taking sides. No. If anything, she was going to head back home to Corellia for a well-earned vacation. Yes, that sounded perfect.

The tattooed human approached her as she stepped down the ramp. Skavak -that was his name.

He grinned at the pretty woman. He knew just how to handle pretty women and egotistical space-jockeys. He'd handled enough in his time. "Can't believe you made it through that separatist shooting gallery, Captain. Your ship isn't even scratched. It takes guts landing in the middle of a battlefield. Nice flying."

"I'm sure it was just luck, Skavak" she replied.

So, the captain did her homework. He hadn't expected that. Most were too cocky to care. "I sincerely doubt that," he murmured just loud enough for her to hear as he motioned her to follow him to the terminal. "I'm picking up those blasters in your cargo hold. Excuse the rush, but I need to get out of here quick. This village used to be safe, but the separatists are taking over. If I were you, I'd haul jets as soon as we're done."

"Exactly my plan. I'm a… courier not a soldier. Hauling jets is what I do best."

"Good call, Captain." His body reverberated with the last explosion. "The bombing is getting closer. The separatists will be on top of us any minute. I've just sent payment to you for making this run, Captain. Soon as I offload those blasters, you'll be free to fly."

"Then get them out of-"

"Skavak! We've got a big problem. Separatists took over the local air defense cannon!" Corso bent over and grasped his knees as he sucked in a deep breath. He didn't think he'd ever run so fast, not even when he was chased by an angry bull nerf.

Skavak held his hands up. The kid had to be wrong. "Whoa! Slow down, slow down, Corso. What are you talking about?"

He raked a hand through his dark, shoulder length hair. "They deployed some kinda remote control stations. Hijacked the cannon's targeting computer. Damn separatists just destroyed an incoming Republic transport!"

"It will be okay, Corso. I'm sure the Republic troops can handle it," she assured him.

He gave a half shake of his head. "They've already got their hands full. Separatist rocket launchers just attacked a Republic walker. Knocked it down hard. With those remote-control stations, the seps can override the air defense cannon's computer – turn that firepower against us any time they want. You might want to take out some of those control stations, Captain."

"He's right," Skavak agreed. "The seps will blast you out the sky if you try to take off." Maybe…just maybe this could work to his advantage.

"I am not getting paid enough for this," she grumbled.

She might complain, but Corso could see the fire in her emerald eyes. She was beauty and fire – like a rising phoenix. He'd heard about some of her exploits – she was almost a legend. And he was being a silly nerf-herder. What would the famous Vista Solo ever see in a man like him? He cleared his throat. "Good luck, Captain. Hope you come back to…us."

Skavak bit back a grin. Looks like little Corso was crushing on the captain. Though, he couldn't blame the young scamp. She was a hot little fox. He wondered if she was as fiery in bed as she was in the cockpit. Perhaps he'd find out someday. "Let's move, lover boy. Swoon over her later – we're running out of time."

"I'm not -" Skavak's chuckle cut him off. He could feel the heat in his cheeks and followed Skavak without a backwards glance. He wasn't sure he wanted to see the look on her face after she'd heard that remark.

As anticipated, there were guards at the control stations. She was often noble in deed, which was rare for someone in her line of work, but when it came to saving her own skin -nobility could take a flying leap. She shot the men from cover; most never even knew she was there. Dead without ever knowing something was wrong. And no, it didn't give her trouble sleeping at night. She didn't wonder if they were a good father or mother. She couldn't let herself think about that, because she knew that they would shoot her without wondering the same.

Her holo chimed and she pulled it from her pocket.

"Captain, you there? It's Corso. We got trouble back at the hangar!"

That was not what she needed to hear. "Has something happened to my ship?"

"Not yet – though can't say how much longer that will be true! We're giving them a warm welcome, but we could use a hand!" He glanced back over his shoulder. "Skavak! Get over here! Help me close the hangar door!" He blinked when he saw Skavak greet the seps. "Skavak? What are you -"

The holo stopped transmitting. Not good. She shoved it in her pocket and hurried from the mainframe's room. She'd taken out three and hoped like hell that was going to be enough. Nope. There was no hoping – it had to be. She was getting off this rock one way or another.

There were several aggressive looking men in the hangar bay and since they did not appear to be helping Corso, who appeared to be injured, she could only assume they were up to no good. She introduced them to her blasters and then hurried over to Corso's side. "You okay, kid?"

"Please don't call me kid, Captain. I'm not that young." He rubbed the back of his head and groaned. "Ugh…feels like a gundark used my skull as a drum. Thanks for saving my hide, Captain. Skavak let those seps in! He stabbed us in the back!"

A harsh breath slipped from her lips. "Does anyone vet your people?"

"Skavak was one smooth customer. Ah, hell…now he has your ship, the guns..." his hand dropped down to his empty side, "and my Torchy. Not my Torchy! Torchy's a genuine BlasTech ALT-25 with magnatomic adhesion grip and side-mounted rangefinder. She's too good for Skavak!"

"So's the Vista Fox. He will not like it when I catch up to him." Oh, no…no, he would not.

Corso whipped out his holo-communicator and tapped into Skavak's frequency. "C'mon…pick up, blast you!"

Skavak grinned. "Aww, what's the matter, Corso? Did I hurt your feelings? Be thankful you're alive, kid."

"Enjoy your little joyride. I'll be seeing you real soon, Skavak. Real soon," she warned.

He winked at her. A woman who had the ego to name her ship after herself. "I didn't know you cared, sweetheart. Then maybe you won't mind me feeling _all_ your curves, Vista Fox. I'll be deep inside you every day. We're going to get to know each other _really _well."

"Skavak! You've crossed a -" The holo went dead. "Sorry, Captain. He dropped the transmission. He always was good at making an exit." He rubbed the back of his head tenderly. "Listen, Skavak and I were working for a guy named Viidu. When he finds out Skavak is a sep, he'll want revenge just like you. You can find him at Fort Garnik. He's a smart guy with connections everywhere. If anybody can find your ship, it's him."

A slow breath slipped from her lips. "It would seem I have limited choices. I'll go see your man."

He nodded. "Good call, Captain. After you leave, I'll lock down this hangar and send Viidu a holo to tell him what happened. I'll see you and Viidu there soon."

She looked at him for a brief moment. He was a nice guy. Not usually the kind of people she knew. She placed her hand on his forearm. "Thank you, Corso." She squeezed his arm lightly and released him. "We'll find your Torchy."

He could feel the heat climbing into his cheeks. "Torchy is important to me - but it's only a blaster. The loss of a ship is far worse. But thank you all the same, Captain."

The trip to the Fort was on foot. She wished she'd have thought to take one of her speeders off the ship. But she'd landed right in front of the hangar, there'd been no need. She asked a couple of people before she found someone who knew where to find Rendia Freight. She found Viindu upstairs in the freight warehouse having a drink. Hell, she could use one of those right now.

Viidu rose, grabbed a second glass and poured the amber liquid into it. "Welcome, Captain! I'm Viidu. Corso told me we've had a rough day. How about a drink to wash away our worries?" He pushed the drink towards her.

She joined him at the table and took a sip. The heat burned down her throat and into her belly, but it was a welcome heat. "Thanks. I more than needed this right about now."

"I'm sure you did," he said with a nod. "Here's a toast to my favorite things…the best collection of art works and exotic beverages in the whole system. And here's to the stupid seps who destroyed it all. Between them and that backstabber, Skavak, I'm thoroughly ruined."

"I won' t let him ruin me. I'm getting my ship back."

He rubbed his chin and nodded. "You should know, the blasters Skavak stole in your ship belonged to Rogun the Butcher. As employers go, he's not the most forgiving."

She drained the glass and set it down forcefully on the table as she leaned in towards him. "I did my job. My job was to get the blasters to Skavak, which I did. He also paid me for the run. My job in this matter was completed. It was not my job to vet Skavak. It's not my job to get the blasters to Rogun. I. Did. My. Job."

He sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers over his large girth. "Yes, you are right, of course. But I'm afraid Rogun won't see it that way. I'm working for him. You worked for me. He'll blame us equally for this mess. He's killed enough people to fill a convoy of freighters, and now he'll believe we crossed him. Rogun bought those blasters to protect his business from separatists. When he finds out what's happened, guess who dies first? The only way we are getting out of this alive is by finding Skavak, your ship and those stolen blasters. I've got an idea where to start looking. There's a guy named Reki, who's a separatist expert. But he's behind a Republic blockade. I'm friendly with the Republic commander. I can get you in and out of Talloran Village, but you'll need to earn a pass by taking out a few seps to prove your loyalty."

She rubbed her forehead and shot a hard glare at him. "I'm not an assassin. But if they shoot, I'll shoot back."

Viidu nodded. "I'll pull together a survival kit. You smuggle it to Reki and he'll tell you a way to find Skavak."

She pushed the glass towards him and he refilled it. She knocked it back while he gathered the supplies, she would be taking to Reki. She took the kit from him and rose from the table. "I'll see you soon."

She found Reki, alright, and almost wished she hadn't. He set himself up with quite the little harem of war widows. Her disgust was not for him alone but also for the women who chose to stay with him. She shuddered. But at least he'd been able to help her…maybe. He'd told her how to find and read the code for his schematics. Those schematics would show her the way to the separatist computer station. The encrypted files within the computer should let them know where Skavak was going.

She just wished finding Skavak didn't include so much hiking. She flipped on her holo and called Viidu.

"Captain. Reki told me about Mannett Point. Getting onto the island is a bit tricky. You'll need to swim there. You'll be walking into the rancor's den, Captain."

She smiled. "No problem then. Animals have a soft spot for me."

"You'll be outnumbered 100 to 1, Captain. Play it safe. Do you have a datapad?"

"Of course."

"Then download the files onto it and we'll handle the rest."

Corso smiled at her holo. "Hey, Captain."

She winked at him. "Good to see you, Corso."

"I wish I could go with you, Captain. My vibroblade's pretty good for chopping seps off at the knees. I call it Hewie."

Viidu frowned. "Forget the seps right now, Corso. I need that slicer kit here before the captain comes back."

Corso nodded. "I'm on it. Stay safe and come back soon, Captain."

Viidu rubbed his forehead as soon as Corso left the room. "The seps wiped out his family a couple of years ago. He's ready to go one-man-army and get himself killed. I'm doing my best to keep that from happening. And Captain? Be easy on the boy. He's sweet on you and I don't want to see him get hurt."

She bit down on her bottom lip to keep from saying something she might come to regret. "I'm not gonna hurt the kid and I'd certainly never force myself on someone."

He cleared his throat. "I don't think you'd have to, Captain. Just don' t…encourage him unless you can give him your heart. He's lost enough."

Wow. Some one feels like a daddy. But he was right. Corso had lost enough. She didn't need to add to it. "I won't encourage him, Viidu."

"Thank you, Captain."

She snapped the communicator to her magbelt. Thankfully, the island was no too very far away. And luck must have been on her side, because the tide was out and she barely had to wade through puddles. Moving through the sep controlled island wasn't very difficult. Nothing about her screamed Republic or Imperial. The only seps she had to kill were those guarding the power relays she needed to destroy. But thanks to her trusty silencers, she didn't bring the whole island down on her head.

There – according to the coordinates, she'd found Reki's home. Now to find the Treatise on Bird Watching that held his schematics. Beautiful! The cipher worked beautifully and now she knew where the sep hideout was. Ah, Skavak. Your days are numbered.

She slipped out Reki's back door. The path down hooked around to the hideout. Couldn't he have just told her that? She shook her head and pulled her blasters. Show time.

In the end, all told, seventeen men lost their lives to her blasters. And, she'd even been caught red-handed but talked her way out of it. She truly appreciated how gullible some people could be. In fact, she owned her livelihood to that.

Life was never dull. As soon as she stepped foot into Rendia Freight she heard a handful of men taunting a woman. It sounded like were trying to force her into sexual compliance. She leaned against a large crate. "Better back off boys. Word's out that Rogun has his eye on the girl," she said, pointing to the brunette they were harassing.

Syreena crossed her arms over her chest. "That's right, Bracco. You don't want to get on Rogun's bad side."

Bracco frowned but took a step back. "Figures. Just proves Viidu ain't long for this world. Let's go, guys," he said with a wave of his hand.

Syreena inhaled deeply. "Thank you for stepping in, Captain. I didn't think I was going to get out of that one. My name's Syreena. I'm…I'm with Viiddu. I'm sure he'll appreciate that you helped me out."

She moved away from the crate and nodded to the woman. "Those boys were just lucky they were so gullible or they'd have been singing soprano and walking funny for a week."

Her brows rose. "I'd like to have seen that. But bluff? It's closer to the truth than I want to admit." She cleared her throat. "What Bracco said was true – Rogun the Butcher will kill Viidu if those blasters don't turn up. I hope whatever course of action you pursuing pays off, Captain. More lives than your own depend on it."

She grinned at Syreena. "One thing you should know about me…I always win. Skavak is going to wish he'd never laid eyes on either Vista Fox."

The brunette tilted her head. "You know I actually believe you when you say that." That was no joke. The woman seemed to handle anything thrown at her as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. She had bigger balls then most men she knew. Skavak bit off more than he could chew with this one.

"Wise woman," Vista teased as she headed up the ramp to see Viidu. She gave him the files and told him what happened to his girl so he could be prepared for anything else that happens.

"We'll know where to find Skavak soon, but until then, I have a special job that will please Rogun and take the heat off for a little bit."

Of course, he did. "Considering I'm stuck here for the moment, I've got loads of time …what's this job?"

"There is a canister of some special chemicals that can supercharge artillery cannons in a village nearby. If -"

Corso shook his head. "The _Big Boom Run_, boss? I can see it making Rogun's day, but it's sure-fire risky. I don't think the captain should do it. It's less stable than a drunk savrip on a speeder bike. Handle it wrong and suddenly you're little chunks of ex-captain."

Viidu held up his hand. "Sure, it's tricky but the captain's resourceful." His gaze slid from Corso to the captain. "Did I mention this run pays unbelievably well?"

She cocked a brow. "Just how _unbelievably well_ are we talking about?"

Viidu grinned. "You do this and you can buy some nice upgrades for your starship when you finally get it back. Trymbo is the scientist's name. He's got a place in Oradam Village. I'll let him know you're coming."

That was not what Corso wanted to hear. Sometimes the risk of danger was greater than the credits involved. "See me before you make that run, Captain. We should talk."

Viidu watched him walk away. "Remember what I said about Corso."

She waved her hand at Viidu to shut him up and followed Corso down the ramp. She was hardly a molester of innocents. Though, there might have been a time or too. She shook the thought out of her head. Corso came to a stop near the front entry.

"Captain -don't suppose I can talk you out of the Big Boom Run?" he asked quietly.

"If this will keep Rogun's men off us long enough to catch Skavak, then it's worth it."

He released a slow breath and nodded. "That's what I thought you'd say. If you're gonna do this, you'll need an edge to make it back alive." He pulled a blaster from his hip and held it out to her butt first. "This here's a Sorosuub SSK heavy blaster. It's cut for a quick draw and has a hair-trigger. I call it _Flashy_. Flashy's the first blaster I ever owned. I want you to have it."

She was stunned that he'd give her something that obviously meant a lot to him. That showed how much he cared. If she accepted the fine gesture, would she be encouraging him romantically or was it a friendly gesture? And if she turned it down, she knew it would hurt him. She wasn't sure which was worse. She smiled and palmed the baster. "Thank you, Corso. I'll care for Flashy like you would."

He tried to stop the grin from spreading but he wasn't sure he succeeded. Her words made his insides feel all warm and wobbly like he'd had one too many cups of Corellian Red. "I know that, Captain. See ya real soon." At least he hoped he did.

She was done with walking. This time she rented a speeder. The ride to Oradam showed a lot of the devastation for the war, but Oradam itself seemed in pretty good shape. One of the nicer towns she'd seen on Ord Mantell. On the way to the scientist's house she saw a rather striking, large white female cathar with blue eyes helping a man that appeared in dire straights. She was surprised a Republic soldier had the time to deal with one down on his luck civilian. Not in the middle of a war, at least. Maybe she was some do-gooder. She nodded to the trooper as she passed her by and entered the house at the coordinates she'd been given.

Loonda looked up from her pot and smiled warmly. "You must be here for my husband. I told master Viidu he went out fishing. Would you like a sweet flatcake? It's fresh."

The food did smell very tasty. "You've read my mind. Thank you," she said as she sat down at the table to enjoy a light lunch. "Do you have any bantha milk and honey?" She couldn't stand drinking the stuff unless it was sweetened. And bantha milk was, unfortunately, a staple in most places.

"Of course! Help yourself, dearie," she said as she motioned to the jug of milk.

She stirred in the honey and took a sip. At least it was good enough to drink now. "Do you know how long your husband will be fishing?" she asked as she devoured the flatcake.

Loonda tucked a loose curl behind her ear. "Oh, sometimes he can be out all day. If you don't feel like waiting for Trymbo, the walk out the him is lovely. The beach is so relaxing."

Something was a little off about the woman. Had her husband's chemicals affected her in some way? Was age being unkind to her mind? Was she even aware there was a war going on? She might be bold, but she wasn't rude enough to ask Loonda those questions. "Thank you, ma'am. Lunch was quite tasty. I think I'll go pay your husband a visit."

She nodded. "Trymbo's at his fishing camp. I'll send you the coordinates. He'll be thrilled to have some company. Now excuse me, dearie – these Rodian peppers won't cook themselves."

The trip down to the beach was uneventful, likely because she stayed away from people that looked like they were up to no good. Not that she didn't think she could best them, but why risk her life without good reason? The fighting, however, did not seem to bother the razoronn, which were large, hairy omnivores that seemed comfortable enough around people that they didn't attack.

She found Trymbo in a cave at the coordinates his wife had given her.

Trymbo raised his hands in exasperation. "Don't stand there. That spot is reserved exclusively for my gundark friends. You're clearly not a gundark." He leaned in towards her and pointed. "Your ears are too small. Listen," he said in a hushed tone. "Do you smell that? There's a pot of Alderaanian stew bubbling. But how could I smell it all the way on Ord Mantell?"

This poor, dear man was even more confused than his wife. She wondered what the stories at dinner would be like at their house. She couldn't even imagine. "Viidu sent me to pick up a canister of chemicals from you."

He tilted his head. "What's a Viidu? Some kind of musical instrument? Is that what keeps playing that awful tune I can't get out of my head?" He bounced a finger on his chin. "Hmm…I do recall a man saying to expect a stranger coming for my chemicals. You seem pretty strange. Was he talking about you?"

"Yup – you got it right on the nose."

His brows drew together and he shook his head. "Have you been diagnosed with a terminal illness? Are you trying to avoid marrying someone? There are better ways to kill yourself, you know. Hmmm…what you really need is a precision teleporter, but a former assistant crashed my prototype into the sun." He nodded his head. "Well – good luck, my friend. If you should explode, please feel free to come back and tell me all about it. Everyone else has."

"Good luck to you as well. You might wish to get home; your wife has a tasty lunch waiting." She wasn't sure how the man managed to survive on his own and hoped he made it back home in one piece. She legged it back to Oradam and rented another speeder to get back to the Fort. She had no desire to carry the canister all the way back. She rode with the thing tucked between her thighs, her chin resting on the top and hoped for the best.

She was grateful to see Corso hurrying down the ramp to help her haul the chemicals up to Viidu.

"Easy does it…easy does it," Viddu warned. "I've got a storage unit here to stabilize the canister so it doesn't blow." He helped them pick it up and settle it in the storage crate. "There we go…" he said with a sigh of relief when the when he locked down the crate's lid. If it exploded now, at least it wouldn't take them all out.

Vista grinned feeling a whole lot lighter. "That may have been the craziest or at least the most suicidal thing I've ever done," she admitted.

Viidu chuckled. "I'll bet you get a lot of free drinks at the cantina telling this tale. But at least we will keep our skin…for now. Rogun will be too busy selling them to think about the blasters. It buys us some much-needed time."

"That scientist, Trymbo, was a…few freighters shy of a convoy," she said with a motion to her head.

"Oh, I know. Every time I talk to him, he thinks I'm his great-grandfather who crashed into a black hole." With a slight shake of his head he raised his hand. "I've got good news and great news! We cracked the sep computer files and found Skavak!"

Syreena frowned. "Viidu, you promised you wouldn't get so excited. It's bad for your heart.

Viidu's sent her an abashed grin. "Sorry, sweetheart. But this going to be great. Skavak won't even see us coming. Hah! Skavak is taking the blasters to the sep base. Those wackos built their headquarters inside an old volcano. Crazy, right?"

Corso grunted. "What do you expect from foaming at the mouth murderers? I wish that volcano would blow its top."

She quirked a brow at him. "You realize I'm going there? I'd rather it not blow its top while I'm there. I'm rather partial to living. The burnt corpse look is so unflattering."

"I doubt even death could mar your beauty." Did he really just say that to her? He held up both hands in a halting gesture, giving them a slight, frantic wave. "Oh – but…I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, Captain," he assured her.

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. "I get that, Corso."

Viidu cleared his throat. "Yes, well…Skavak's delivering the blasters to a psycho named Dareg at the base. You need to get there first, ambush him and fly your ship back."

"I suppose it's time to play hero again. A girl can get used to this."

"Well, you won't be playing hero alone this time. Take Corso with you, Captain. The kid knows more about blasters and rifles than almost anyone I've met."

Finally. A chance to do something more useful. A chance to fight at the famous Captain Vista Fox's side. A chance to show her what he was capable of. "I owe Skavak payback for taking Torchy. That was lower than low."

She supposed stealing a blaster with nothing more than sentimental value was lower than stealing a starship – even if that she'd spent the best years of her life in that ship. "Then let's go take back what's ours."

To save money, she allowed Corso to fly the speeder and climbed on behind him. After she wrapped her arms around his waist she wondered if she should have splurged and rented two speeders. With her breasts pressed into his back she leaned forward. "Are you okay with this?" she asked, her mouth a couple of inches from his ear."

"More than okay, Captain. I'll get us there safely," he told her, his lips twitching into a grin.

She clung tight and pressed the side of her face into his back. She definitely preferred to be the one flying. He settled the speeder down at the Volcano camp and held out his hand to help her off the speeder. She didn't need the help, but the gesture was sweet. It would appear Corso treated women like ladies. A girl could get used to that. Even if she had to be careful with him.

Outside the sep stronghold she saw the same cathar trooper she'd seen earlier. She was firing a small, but impressive assault canon. Vista darted to her side and helped her finish off the seps stationed outside the stronghold.

Wynter snapped the cannon to the magpanels in the back of her armor. "So, we meet again. Who are you?"

Vista grinned. "Name's Vista Solo. That's my…partner Corso Riggs. It appears we've got similar goals. If we work together maybe we'll achieve both of them faster."

She wasn't sure Lt. Jorgan would appreciate someone else knowing their business, but something in Vista's eyes assured her the human didn't give a damn and she doubted she'd ever see the woman again. "Sergeant Wynter L'Vae, Republic Commando. Havoc Squad. I'm trying to find a bomb – what's your MO?"

Vista glanced at Corso and then realization dawned on her. MO…mission objective. "Ah…A thief by the name of Skavak stole my ship and its cargo. I intend to get them back."

"And my blaster," Corso amended.

She winked at Wynter and tried not to laugh. "Torchy has sentimental value to Corso."

"I see," Wynter said, keeping her best straight face. "Let's bring the base down and cover both our objectives. Move out." She saw Vista just blink and flushed. "Sorry."

Vista laughed. "I knew what you meant. I'm just not used to the military drill sergeant tone. I'm better motivated by honey."

"I'll be sure to remember that, ma'am."

"And don't ma'am me – I'm not your mom."

Wynter chuckled. "It's been awhile since I've been with civvies. My small talk might be a bit rusty."

"We'll work on that," Vista teased. "Get a move on it, soldier," she said with a wink and followed the trooper into the base.

Corso looked around after the first wave of seps were taken down. "Look at the size of this place. How'd the seps get the money to build something like this?"

"More likely it was discovered and confiscated," Wynter told him "Even if the imps supported the separatists, they wouldn't sink this many credits into Ord Mantell."

They took a lift up and fought their way deep into the base. As soon as the area was clear of seps, Wynter's holo chimed.

"Sergeant – do not take those civilians any further. I repeat – do not take those civilians with you."

Wynter growled softly. "Lt. Jorgan, I mean no disrespect when I say they have been instrumental in infiltrating the base. The sooner I reach the MO -"

"That is a direct order, Sergeant," Aric growled.

"Roger that." She disconnected the call. "If I finish my objective – I will see if you still need assistance with yours."

Vista pulled out her communicator and sent her frequency to Wynter. "Call if you ever need a helping hand. If I'm nearby, you'll have it."

"That is generous. Far more than I would have expected," Wynter admitted. "I'm not often surprised." She pulled the cannon from her back.

"Oh, I'm full of surprises – and I'm not exactly what you think," she teased. "Paddy's luck to you." With a gesture of her head she and Corso headed in the direction they needed to go. "It's unfortunate Jorgan was being such an ass. I wasn't out for Republic secrets – I only wanted to help."

"Maybe we don't look trustworthy, Captain. I never thought I'd work with a Republic soldier. It wasn't what I thought it'd be."

"Most things aren't," she responded, her voice a bit more somber than she intended.

A frown tugged at his lips. "Something happen, Captain?"

She patted his arm as she turned into another corridor. "Maybe one day I'll tell you…when we know each other well enough to share our deepest-darkest."

"Sounds like a deal, Captain."

A breath slipped from her lips. "Call me Vista…or Fox…or Solo…anything but Captain. I know what I am, I don't have to wear a title."

"I'll do that…Vista…" Her name came out softer than intended. He'd been given permission to call the captain by her given name. She was…larger than life and he was just…himself. Things like this just didn't happen to him – at least not meeting celebrities.

Oh boy…how'd he make her name sound like a caress? With a slight shake of her head she sighed. Better than captain. She turned to see a large man backhand a woman being held by two others. The woman spat in his face. Before he could swing again, she stepped into view. "Tsk-tsk. A gentleman shouldn't hit a lady. Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" she taunted.

"Well, now," Dareg turned to look at her, "I don't see any ladies here, do you boys?"

Corso cocked his gun. "Then you are as blind as you are stupid."

All but the two men holding the woman cocked their guns. "Do you have any last words, degenerate scum?"

Vista laughed softly. "Last words are for the dying - so tell me yours."

"Let justice be served," Dareg yelled out. Rounds started flying.

"And so it shall…" Annalyn dropped to the ground, the men let go reflexively and she rolled forward to grab the blasters they'd taken from her. She raised her blaster. She frowned when the man jumped in front of the woman and obscured her view. "Not the time to play hero, loverboy. Duck!"

He grabbed Vista and pulled her to the ground, covering her body with his as the shot rang out. It took him a moment to realize the position he had her in and rolled off of her, pulling her to her feet. Her arm swung to the left to take out a sep that had taken a bead on them.

When the rounds stopped flying, one sep was left on his knees in the surrender position.

"I surrender! I surrender! Please...I don't want to die. My name is Morant, I have a family on the mainland! I'll tell you what I know. We knew you were coming…we were tipped off ahead of time. We thought she was you…until you showed up. Skavak showed up a few hours ago to deliver the blasters, but it was all a trick. He pretended to be on our side so he could steal some rusty antique droid from Dareg. It was a worthless pile of scrap that had been in Dareg's family for generations. Skavak grabbed it like some big treasure and blasted his way out. He left in your ship. I don't know where he went, but his girl, Syreena should know. She's the one who told us you were coming. Let me go…please, let me go…"

Corso drew his blaster and placed the barrel on the side of the man's head. "Separatist scum killed my family. And I promised myself I'd bury every last one of you," he growled.

Morant swallowed hard. "I've only been here a few months – I haven't killed anyone's family."

"Corso – lower your weapon." She knew her tone was hard – but he did not have to become what he loathed. A murderer.

His gaze met hers. "Vista, I need to do this. I can't just let him go home and pretend like nothing ever happened.

"Corso – he didn't kill your family. He is innocent of that crime. If you kill him then you become the monster you hate. I don't want to see a monster when I look at you."

Annalyn joined them. This want' her fight, but she'd learned much in her life and one such thing was mercy earned far more gratitude and influence than living in fear did. Another thing she learned was revenge killing destroyed a part of your soul – It did not heal you. "Let it go, kid. There are plenty of people in the galaxy that deserve a shot to the head – save it for them. Don't shoot an unarmed man that has surrendered. You're better than that."

Morant's body began to shake. If the man holding the gun cared what these women thought he might just see his family again. "Please…I'll just go home and take care of my family."

Corso closed his eyes a brief moment then lowered his blaster. He didn't want Vista to see him as a monster. "Get out of here before I change my mind."

Vista covered his hand with hers. "I'm proud of you, Corso. You did the right thing."

"So…you two married?" Annalyn inquired.

Vista blinked and jerked her hand away from his. "No…and no. We just met early this morning. He's a friend now, though."

She laughed at the other woman's declaration. "Yeah, sure he is."

Vista took a closer look at the woman and her mouth fell open. That metallic golden brown hair that glowed as if it were alive…those vibrant green eyes with golden center stars…."It can't be." She took a step back in shock.

She was surprised that anyone still recognized her. Not to the extent they used to, but they shouldn't recognize her at all anymore. She kept a low profile because she should be nothing but a wrinkled, old crone by now. "Don't you just love the curve balls life throws at you?" Annalyn quipped with a grin on her face. "Surprise!"

Corso studied at the newcomer that seemed to know a little too much concerning his feelings for Vista. Was he that transparent? He couldn't be – surely Vista would have said something one way or another if she understood the depth of his feelings for her. His gaze slid from the newcomer to Vista. "Cap – Vista…do you know her?"

She shook her head in disbelief and started laughing. "I've never met her before – but I know _of_ her. Corso Riggs, meet Annalyn Starr of Starr and Okarr – the most famous smuggler couple the galaxy has ever known."

He grew up on old stories he'd heard of the pair as a child. "But I thought…" heat crept into his cheeks. He thought they died fifty years ago.

Annalyn rolled from heel to toe, her metallic hair gleaming in the artificial light. "You thought I died?" she asked roughly. "A part of me did. Nic – he didn't make it. The empire took my Morning Glory. They took my Nic…I bought a new ship and spent the last few decades taking from them – hurting them the only way I can…financially. I free their slaves…I raid their warehouses…I steal their treasures. Nothing I do to them will ever make up for my loss. Which is why I know what you're going through, kid. When I first lost my ship and my husband, I executed a lot of imps before they even knew I was there. Then, I discovered they were normal men just like any other. They joke, they tease, they love their families and they believe with all their heart that what they are doing will help the galaxy – some want nothing more than peace. They were us with different accents. I became friends with a few – even a couple of sith. Those murders? They destroyed a part of me inside – they will haunt me forever. There is no healing found in murder. I learned that lesson the hard way, kid. I wanted to save you from that lesson."

It wasn't Starr's words that changed his mind. He couldn't bear the thought of Vista seeing him as a monster – a murderer of unarmed men. His gaze slid briefly to Vista and darted away. "Maybe time will dull my grief and anger."

"No," Annalyn said with a somber shake of her head. "It would take many long years for time to fade those memories – but love has a power time lacks. If you ever find it, kid…don't ever let it go. It will heal in ways you can't imagine. Until then…find something to fight for instead of rage against. You'll be a stronger man for it."

Her words hit him on more fronts than he'd have thought possible. He knew Vista barely saw him as a man. That was something he aimed to change – even if it was an uphill battle. He wasn't afraid of the challenge and would do whatever it took to win her heart. He knew he could make her happy. "I know what I'm going to fight for," he said with a steely determination.

Annalyn laughed softly. "I bet you do. Vista Solo – yes...I know who you are too. I may not be the woman I used to be, but I do keep up on the best and brightest. As one captain to another – I'd like to help you find your ship."

That was far more than she expected. "I'm grateful that you would even offer…but what are you getting out of it?"

"What – the warm and fuzzies of helping someone out doesn't work for you?" She chuckled at the look on the woman's face. "I'll get satisfaction. I stopped on Ord Mantell for supplies and to update weapons protocol on my droids. Skavak took something of mine off my ship. I followed him here…I lost him. I intend to find him again."

It would appear Skavak was hellbent on sowing his own defeat. "Then it would appear we all have something in common and Skavak is building an army of enemies. Before we go after Skavak, we need to get back to Rendia Freight to see Viidu. He needs to know about Syreena."

"Come on then," Annalyn said with a wave of her hand. "I'll get you there quickly. When you're done, find me at the port. I need to pick up my droids."

She pulled up short when hurried out of the chamber. She could have sworn she saw a white cathar. She spun around to see the back of the trooper disappearing. "Come on – we told Wynter we'd help her. Her CO might have a tantrum, but if we can help – we will. She filled Annalyn in on her earlier meetings with the trooper as they followed her down the shaft.

They followed the trail of dead bodies and pulled up near the entrance of the room behind a girder to see what they could overhear and find out if Wynter would need their help.

"…You aren't supposed to be here, Wolf."

"And I would not be, except Command feared you were dead and sent me in to find you and make sure the bomb did not disappear again."

A woman stepped in behind Wolf, her shotgun poised. "I will take her."

"No, Wraith. Wolf deserves to know the truth. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. I harbor no ill will toward you. Except you made Gearbox and Fuse question our decision. He motioned to Fuse laying out cold on the ground. Fuse turned on us. But he'll come around again. Now you, Wolf, are a warrior. Everything Havoc should be. But I'm afraid the Republic no longer values her warriors – even the very best among them."

"Tavus, you know what the Empire is like! They are controlled by power mad Sith who torture and kill to get their way. They enslave and abuse. Regardless of anything that happened here - you can't believe it is better over there!"

The man named Tavus squared his shoulders. "The Empire respects warriors, Wolf. The Republic's top officials, on the other hand, have decided to cast us aside. The truth is that no matter what they may say, the Republic Senate doesn't actually believe it can win another war against the Empire. That makes you and I a threat. Every Havoc Squad victory fires up people's imaginations, fills them with pride – which means the bureaucrats can't afford to let us keep succeeding."

"Even if that were true, does that mean we should just lay down and let tyranny win? That we should stop fighting for freedom and democracy and just let it die? I would rather die fighting for freedom than become a slave of tyranny. Please…Gearbox…listen to me. It doesn't have to end this way. You know I'm right. You know there's another way. There's always another way! This will destroy your soul." She held out her hand towards him. "Give me the chance to help you find peace or to help you find a reason to go on fighting."

"If only you'd been with us longer, Wolf. You'd understand. You might have even come with us. The Republic abandoned us. During a mission on Ando Prime, they simple left us to die. But I won't try to persuade you. Honestly, I hope you die with your ideals intact. The rest of us will never have that luxury." He turned when Gearbox held his hand out.

Wraith slammed the butt of her shotgun against the side of his Gearbox's head. His eyes rolled up and he dropped heavily to the ground.

"Get them into the shuttle," Tavus motioned to the two downed me n.

"You're a real charmer," Vista responded as she stepped out from behind the metal girder that had hidden their presence.

"Who the hell are you?" Tavus demanded. This was getting out of hand.

"Vista Solo – spoiler of rotten plans and yours stinks like week old sani-liners. That's my partner, Corso Riggs and -"

Annalyn stepped forward. "Annalyn Starr – thorn in the Empire's backside more years than you've been alive."

He clenched his jaw. "I don't really give a damn who you are – except you have no business being here."

"That's where you're wrong. You see, I made a promise to Wynter and I'm a woman of my word – my honor's intact…too bad you lost yours," Vista taunted.

Wynter kept her attention focused on Tavus. If Jorgan had an issue with this he could suck it up. She'd not invited the trio to this party. "It's not too late, Tavus. Please turn back."

"Turn back to what? The Republic that wants me dead and gone? No, Wolf, I think not."

Wraith's smile was more of a sneer. "Thank you for finding the ZR-57 for us. We were worried the seps would waste our big present for the Empire."

"But thanks to your efforts," Needles replied with a small bow, "we can now present the Empire with this magnificent tool of destruction."

"I honestly wouldn't do that if I were you. As presents go – that one will prove disappointing," she warned.

"You could not be more wrong. Time we were off. Colonel Vorr? Please give Wolf the warrior's death she deserves – you can do what you want with the others." His gaze returned to her unsettling, large blue eyes. "I'm sorry it had to come to this. It's been an honor serving with you, Wolf. Goodbye."

The ramp rose as he disappeared into the shuttle. She got one round off, before the door closed, but then she had to devote her attention to the Imps determined to take their lives. Eventually, she and the civilians were the only ones left standing. She noticed Corso was clutching his arm, red seeping between his fingers.

"It's only a flesh wound," he said when he noticed that every female's eyes were locked onto his wound.

"Which you received helping me out." Wynter removed the small medkit from her belt. "Annalyne, stand watch. Vista, help him out of his coat and shirt." When his arm was bared, she ran an antiseptic pad over the wound, followed by a dab of kolto and wrapped it in a clean sani-wrap. "You're good to go for now." She put the kit away and looked all three of them over. "I want to thank you. I know I told you not to come, but I'm glad you did. I'm not sure if I would have survived if I'd been on my own – there were too many. You three have earned a friend in me today. If you ever need me, call on me. Until then, did you need assistance with your objective?"

"Nah, my ship wasn't there. Annalyn's gonna take us to Coruscant where we will continue our search for Skavak. I hope we meet again, Wynter. We work well together."

"That we do," the trooper responded.

Once they cleared the base, they went their separate ways after a round of handshakes. Vista truly hoped their paths would cross again.

There was no surprise when they returned to Viidu and found he'd been murdered by Syreena who was caught in mid-holo with Skavak. It wasn't right that Viidu died like that. He was a man with a caring heart. She wanted to wrap her hands around Syreena's throat and squeeze. But the woman didn't even raise a blaster at her. She didn't let Corso shoot a man that didn't fight back, so she couldn't either.

Syreena looked from Vista to Corso and then settled on the woman, who was clearly the leader. "Skavak has taken your ship and the blasters to Coruscant. If you hurry, you can catch him there. The separatists are retreating and the Republic just reopened the shuttle port. I'll give you a shuttle pass if you let me disappear. Do we have a deal?"

She gritted her teeth. She hated letting that conniving bitch go, but if something happened and the Lucky Star wasn't there, they would need those passes. "Fine. But, Syreena? Fix your life and stay out of trouble. I won't let you walk a second time."

Syreena started walking towards the doorway. "Understood, Captain. Hope I don't see you around." She stopped and turned to look at the captain. "If you find Skavak, go easy on him. He's a two-timing liar, but…it would be nice to see him again…someday."

Vista shook her head as the woman departed. Some people never learn.

"Glad that ended peacefully, I'm not one to hurt women. I'm gonna make sure people know what she did to Viidu, but I'm glad I'm not responsible for her death. We should leave before the bounty hunters show up and we need to get to Coruscant."

"We? Well, we did make a pretty good team. Stick with me, farm-boy, and we'll get your Torchy back." She hoped she was doing the right thing. She knew he wasn't her responsibility, but she didn't feel right leaving him on his own. Despite what had happened to his family, life hadn't turned him into a jaded cynic. There was an odd innocence or naivety about him that made her feel protective.

They hurried to the port, eager to get off Ord Mantell. They only had to ask one dockhand to find out which ship was the Lucky Star. A sweet heaven, she was a looker – sleek for a freighter. She was shaped like a tapered 'U' with the cockpit sitting raised above the middle of the two outstretched arms. It was nearly as smooth as a baby's bottom. No slapped-on upgrades that stuck out like a sore thumb, no poorly welded fixes, no emergency patchwork. She looked almost shipyard new, which was surprising for any ship – much less one that trolled imp space.

There were well armed droids on either side of the ramp leading up into the ship's belly.

"You have been granted permission to board the Lucky Star," the droid informed them.

"If I'd had droids like that, Skavak never would have stolen my ship."

He chose not to comment on that or on how cute she looked with her bottom lip pouting. If Skavak hadn't stolen her ship, he would not be flying off Ord Mantell at her side. He was looking forward to their adventures together. He was looking forward to proving himself and he was looking forward to trying to earn her love. "We'll get her back, Vista."

"Yes…we will." She looked around in awe. The inside of the ship was as pristine as the outside. There were no visible cables or hoses along the edges of the flooring, everything was tucked in and out of sight. She suspected, like her own ship, there was an additional cargo hold hidden beneath the flooring, though you couldn't tell by walking on it.

"Come on up – I've already completed the pre-flight checks. Let's get off this rock!" Annalyn yelled down at them.

They followed her voice; the cockpit was in the same direction hers' was, but the shape was completely different and the field of view was much larger. "I've never been aboard a ship like this. It looks fresh from the shipyard."

Everything about the ship was top of the line- a fine looking freighter flagship. "A lot of creds went into this baby."

She grinned at Corso. "You don't know the half of it, kid. Her systems won't even boot without my biometrics. Let's haul jets outta here."

Coruscant

The trip and company were far more enjoyable than she expected. It had been some time since she'd spent any real time with other people. They'd traded stories, played pazaak and learned that Corso could not handle his booze. The kid was almost poetic with his flowery compliments but at least he was a harmless drunk.

Coruscant itself was barren of almost anything natural, which was something someone in her line of work usually cared about. But when she stepped down onto a world, she wanted to feel dirt beneath her feet, smell the musky scent of wildlife and the delicate scent of flowers in bloom. Her stays on planets like this were never very long and avoided unless there was no other choice. But Skavak was reason enough to stay as long as she had to.

"If we're gonna find Skavak, we're gonna need some local help."

She crossed her arms under her breasts. "You got someone in mind, Corso?" Vista asked.

He grinned. "I happen to know the perfect guy. There's a gambler named Darmas Pollaran who keeps tabs on everything worth knowing about Coruscant. You'll like him. When Darmas isn't playing sabacc, he buys and sells the kinds of answers we need. Give me a second, I'll raise him on the holo."

Darmas looked up at the dark-haired kid, though he wasn't as gangly as he'd once been. Little Corso was growing up. "Corso, is that you? It's been too long, you rascal. What brings you to Coruscant?"

"A friend and I are in a bind. Is there a place we can meet you?

"Of course. Come to my private cantina booth. I'm here now…. winning my tenth hand of sabacc against a very persistent rodian."

"Sounds like my kind of place," Vista replied with a grin.

Darmas turned to put a face to the voice. "I hope that's only the first of many affinities we share."

She pursed her lips to keep from laughing. Darmas was a charmer. "I bet."

"Manias?" Analyn shook her head. "I'm sorry, you sound like someone I knew once. But that's not possible, that sewer rat's long dead by now."

Darmas swallowed hard but kept the grin on his face. "I'm far too endearing to be a sewer rat. And once you meet me, I'm sure you'll discover I have nothing in common with your…friend." Of all the joints she had to walk in to…and not looking a day older than he'd seen her last. Of course, he didn't look the same at all. But she was supposed to have died or he'd have been more careful.

"Darmas is a good man," Corso assured her. "Keep your commlink channel open, Darmas. I need to tell you about Viidu."

They took a taxi to the Galactic Market sector. She let Corso fly while she and Annalyn squished into the second seat. It was worth it to save a few creds. Annalyn had money to spare, but even she enjoyed saving creds.

Ah…the Dealer's Den cantina. Not one she'd visited before, but it was attractive and obviously meant for those that enjoyed spending creds.

Corso looked around stunned by what he was seeing. He was used to crowded, dingy, small cantinas. "Wow – even the cantinas here are big. Darmas says this is the best watering hole on the planet."

Darmas rose when his card game ended to greet the trio that had come to see him. He ignored Starr for the moment. He smiled. "Forgive me for being so forward, but you're more radiant than a Tatooine sunset. Darmas Pollaran, at your service." He took her hand and raised it to his lips.

Oh brother – he was one of _those_. She plastered a warm smile on her lips. "Vista Solo…and you're even better looking in person, Darmas."

Why was Darmas flirting with her and why wasn't she putting a stop to it? "Come on, Vista…isn't he a little old for you?"

Darmas settled onto the sofa. "Don't listen to the boy. Feel free to compliment me anytime. Sorry to hear about Viidu. He was a man of refined tastes and a terrible card player. I'll truly miss him. Now…I know this isn't a social call – much as I could wish otherwise. Corso says you have troubles and I'm prepared to help."

She leaned up against the card table and crossed her legs. "A man named Skavak stole my freighter and we were told he was due to come here."

"Corso mentioned stolen cargo and the infamous Rogun the Butcher, too. My sympathies. The man works with the Empire and cheats at cards. I'm happy to help you find him. I've already alerted my best informants and I'm getting some interesting leads."

Corso grinned. "What did I tell you, Vista? Darmas can find out anything. We'll have Skavak in no time."

She ran a hand through her thick, red mane. "How much will this information lighten my wallet?"

Darmas held up a hand for a negligible shake. "Free of charge, my dear. I would never consider extorting credits from a beautiful woman in distress. Skavak recently used the services of a data slicer named Kixi in the Migrant Merchant's Guild headquarters. She's quite talented, I hear. She might be able to help you flush him out of hiding. Be careful though – the guild is well armed." He turned to greet Starr. "Now, have I passed the test?" he asked her with a quirk of his brow. He had to force himself to breath when he realized he was holding it.

Annalyn frowned and she crossed her arms under her breasts. "There was no test. You sound like him, but you don't look like him. I already apologized – I won't do it again." He may not be Manias, but he rubbed her the wrong way. He reminded her of the imp-scum and that was enough. She didn't' trust him farther than she could look at him.

He held his hands up in surrender. "Well then – I stand corrected and you have my apologies for bringing the matter up again. You are welcome to stay and enjoy yourself while your friends are busy." He knew offering for her to stay was a risk, but it also showed he had nothing to hide. Manias Holding had been his first alias as an Imperial agent. In the end, he'd had to burn that identity, thanks to Starr and her husband Okarr…two names he'll never forget. It almost cost him this alias when he saw her again. Thank all he held dear that he was able to keep it together. One wrong step around her and he'd have to run. The fun of fooling her was the only thing that kept him from having a bounty put out on her. No…this was a high stakes – win or lose everything game and it was invigorating. Perhaps he'd get both of these ladies in bed. He had no real interest in Starr – not anymore…but the revenge would be sweet.

She shook her head, her metallic golden-brown hair catching the multitude of neon lights. "No, thank you. We're going after Skavak together. He stole something of mine and I am getting it back."

The only problem they encountered en route was needing a security pass to enter their destination. that proved to be of little consequence because Annalyn was a crack slicer. It would appear that this Kixi was well protected…or guarded. They'ed had to scrap a few droids to get behind her locked door.

Kixi was uncertain what these newcomers meant. Freedom or servitude under new masters? "Been monitoring you on the security network. You sure know how to make an entrance. Whatever issues you have with the guild, I'm on your side. I'm just a slave here."

"Relax, we're not here to hurt you. We just need your help," she assured her.

Hope welled inside her for the first time in two years. "Then you'll let me leave? I've been locked up for two years. I'll do anything to get out."

"Skavak owes us each a debt - he'll regret he ever saw Vista Fox."

Kixi's dark green hair fluttered with the slight shake of her head. "I knew that Corellian pig-lizard had ticked off the wrong person. No wonder he was in such a hurry. He paid the guild to clean his identity record."

Skavak was Corellian? He gave their people a bad name. Time for him to pay handsomely for that. "Are you willing to dirty it again before you go?"

She chuckled. "He won't be able to walk ten meters without attracting attention. Give me a moment" Her hands flew over the controls. "I saved records of everything I erased. I'm just transferring the data back. There. The minute he passes an identity checkpoint, it'll trigger an alarm."

Annalyn stepped forward. "Leave the files open and run. I'll…finish up and remove evidence of our tampering."

Relief flooded through the mirialan. "Oh, thank you! You three are my heroes!"

Annalyn grinned as the green woman ran off and hopped onto the terminal. "Let's see what else I can do to dear, sweet Skavak. Hmm…yes…now he's an undercover Republic agent. Oh – yes…and one more parting favor. He's now suffering from Bothan Nether Rot – no cure for that little nasty." She giggled. "I wonder how he got that? Give me a moment to tidy things up…. There. No one will know it's been tampered with."

"I'm glad I'm not your enemy," Corso said as he squeezed his thighs together unconsciously. "Let's get back to Darmas and see if he's learned anything more."

She frowned. "I hope you do not blindly trust him."

Corso eyed Starr. "He's a good man. He's helped me out whenever I needed it and he's helping us now."

She nodded. Blind trust. "As you say."

Vista sighed. "Come on…trust issues aside, he's still the only lead we have."

Annalyn grinned as they entered the cantina again. "Corso – I think you are the only man alive that doesn't even give those dancers a glance," she teased.

He couldn't help but be offended by her words. "Unless they are in trouble, I have no need to look. I'm not interested in anything they have to offer."

"Has your heart already been spoken for?" She couldn't help herself. Until Vista Solo opened her eyes and put him out of his misery, he was just so easy to tease.

He could no more stop his eyes from seeking out Vista then he could stop the heart beating in his chest. He knew he wanted to impress her. He wanted to win her affection. But now he realized he wanted her heart because she already had his. He saw Vista's head turn in his direction and he tore his eyes from her to look at Starr. "I suppose I am a taken man."

She nodded and glanced at the oblivious Solo. "Whoever she is - she's a lucky woman."

Vista bit back a frown. Corso was taken? She wondered why Viidu thought the kid was interested in her? It was better this way. She couldn't hurt him if his heart belonged to another. If he felt anything towards her, it was just a touch of hero worship. That she could handle and still keep her promise to Viidu.

"You, my dear, grow more beautiful each time I see you," Darmas told her with a wink as he settled onto a loveseat. "An informant saw you leaving the Migrant Merchant's Guild. I trust Kixi was useful?"

Annalyn didn't like Darmas putting moves on Solo not when something bothered her about him. She couldn't put her finger on it…but something told her to be wary. "She gave Skavak back his well-earned identity and I dirtied it even more."

No...no…her skills as a slicer didn't bother him. His identity was long established and solid. He had to believe that. He nodded. "Then he won't be able to hide for long." He turned his attention to the much more appealing Vista Solo. "My sources reveal Skavak is doing business with the Black Sun gang. They have holorecordings of all their meetings. So, you'll find information about Skavak on those holos. But…they fragment them. You'll have to assemble the relevant footage by accessing several computers. Do be careful and good luck."

A taxi ride later and they were in the Black Sun district. The coordinates Darmas gave them saved them a lot of exploratory footwork. They split up to hit all three rooms. It would appear that she was the only one of them that didn't have to fight for the data. She always did tend to have the luck of the Corellian…but Skavak's luck, Corellian or not, had finally ran out.

The mainframe, however, was well guarded. Since no one chose to walk away it took them a few minutes to fight through the Black Sun. Needless to say, as lady luck would have it, they were the ones left standing.

They inserted their data splices and learned that dirty little shit-weasel had a lawman after him.

He gently palmed her elbow. "It might be this lawman knows how to find Skavak. We'd better try to save him…Vista."

She stiffened her spine to hold back the shiver. Why did her name off his lips always sound like a caress? "Not often I get to save the law. This should prove interesting."

They headed back to the port and took the lift up to the second docking bay level. The hangar was well fortified. Further in, they found the cathar that had been talking to Skavak in the holo and several thugs taking on one, small man. "The sullustan must be very dangerous to warrant so many to stand against him."

Urbax growled. "I told you idiots to watch the door! You!" he said, giving his attention to the newcomers. "You don't belong here. Better leave before that pretty little face is marred."

"Wait, upstanding citizen! Under Article 11607 of the Emergency Service Laws, I hereby deputize you. These men are interfering with a criminal investigation."

"Deputy, eh?" She grinned. "You heard the man." She grabbed her blasters, twirled them and took aim. "Drop your weapons or lose your life."

Urbax shook his head. "I like a spirited woman – too bad I have to kill you," he growled.

They didn't drop their weapons. She hissed when a round sliced the arm of her coat before she could get her defense screen up. Stupid…she knew better. She would not be that slow again.

Corso stepped forward, putting himself between her and the shooter. Four against three, the thugs didn't stand a chance. "You okay…Vista?" he asked softly.

She felt his breath fan the side of her face as he looked over her arm. "I'm fine. You don't need to protect me…I'm a big girl." She squared her shoulders. "Don't put yourself at risk for me, kid."

He stared down into her emerald eyes that held him captive. "I'm not a kid. And not even a herd of angry rancors could stop me from protecting you."

Corso protected women. It's who he was and she knew it wasn't an argument she could win right now – if ever. She'd learned a long time ago to pick her battles and this would not be one of them.

Miel snapped his blaster back onto his magbelt. "I am grateful for your assistance, deputy. I apologize for drafting you into service on such short notice, but you performed admirably. I have not properly identified myself. I am Officer Miel Muwn of the Sullustan Constable Brigade."

"I'm…Fox Solo. Starship captain and courier. And I quite enjoy being a deputy and helping the law," she told him with a warm smile. Almost no one knew her middle name was Fox, so she felt safe enough using it. She'd created a squeaky-clean alias for it many years ago. It was the identification she used when she went through any security scan. It was the name of her twin sister, older by a couple of minutes, that went missing when they were small children. She was never declared dead and the DNA was a perfect match. No one ever questioned the identity.

"Then you shall remain my deputy, Fox Solo. With my gratitude. I have come to Coruscant pursuing a dangerous criminal named Skavak. He is wanted by the government of Sullust for high crimes. He stole the priceless Murustavan Ruby. It is my job to arrest him and retrieve it."

She smiled at the little guy. "He's wanted by me for stealing my starship. His blaster and her pet. We've got your back, Miel."

"Ah! I suspected your timely intervention here was not coincidence. As my deputy, I propose we cooperate and share any leads we discover." Coruscant was a confusing world to him and he would be grateful for her help.

She inclined her head to the sullustan. "Of course, Officer Miel."

"I'm glad to have allies on this world. Together we will bring that lawbreaker to justice! Now, I will contact the local security forces and file all appropriate reports."

"Time to jet," Annalyn pointed out.

"We should check in with Darmas since we still don't know where Skavak is. I tried calling him, but he must be in a game. Let's go," Corso told them.

Unfortunately, _friends_ were waiting for them in the casino. Kids playing bounty hunter. She didn't want the deaths of children on her conscience.

"Look!" Egara said as she pointed in the red-haired woman's direction. "It's the captain from Rogun the Butcher's bounty contract!"

Scorch stepped forward. "Hold it right there, captain!"

She held her arms out to stop her friends from raising their weapons. "Me? Wouldn't I have to have a ship to be a captain?"

"Come on you two – let's cremate this fool and get rich!"

She smiled coldly at the kids. "I'm not who you're looking for, but neither do I tolerate fools. You kids run along home to your mamas before I spank you."

"All right, that's it. Let's roast this stupid nerf-herder!" Scorch snarled.

Riloh held up his hand. "Hold it, Scorch." He looked at the three that faced them and saw his death in their eyes. "I think this is more trouble than it's worth."

"I'd listen to your friend, Scorch. If you make a habit of killing innocent people, you're going to find your name on some bounty hunter's list. How many innocents have you killed?" Annalyn inquired.

"Ha! I never flame-broiled anyone that didn't have it coming!" he scoffed.

Egara grunted. "Except for that rodian droid tech – and the trandoshan cloth merchant."

Riloh nodded. "And your last girlfriend. What was her name? Mira? Marzi?"

"It was Myrella – and that was an accident!" Scorch turned to Egara. "You said this was the captain Rogun wanted – are you sure or not?"

Egara's lips tightened and her fists clenched. Now she doubted what she knew. "I don't know! I thought…I don't know! Let's – let's get out of here. I think I made a mistake."

Vista flashed them a warm smile. "You kids have a nice day and be careful who you confront. It's a dangerous galaxy."

Scorch shoved his friend's arm as they walked away. "Why'd you bring up Myrella in front of total strangers? That was just cold…," he mumbled.

"I would have blasted them," Annalyn admitted. "That hot tempered Scorch has killed innocents with no remorse."

"Yes, but I don't think his friends have. They shouldn't have to die for his mistakes. Besides, he's young still. I'm hoping they will be able to get through to him. If they don't…well...I have an old friend here that can _handle_ him…if it comes to that."

Darmas rose until Vista seated herself and then settled onto the loveseat next to hers. "Having some trouble with bounty hunters, Vista?"

A cocky grin spread over her lips. "Just some kids that needed to rethink their lives." She sighed softly. "I seem to be popular with all the wrong people."

Darmas leaned towards her. "All the right people find you charming, too," he murmured before clearing his throat and sitting up. "I hear Black Sun's on an emergency recruitment drive. I take it my lead was worthwhile?"

"That it was. It led me to a sullustan lawman, who is also chasing Skavak."

His grin was smarmy. "It's good to have friends with common interests."

Was this guy for real? "Are we friends then, Darmas?"

He leaned in her direction. "Friendship is just one step along the journey I'd like to take with you." He steepled his hands in his lap. "And…while we wait for Skavak to make his next move, perhaps we can play a little sabaac?"

Corso squared his shoulders. He did not appreciate how strong Darmas was coming on to his…to Vista. "Vista…I think we should…"

He waved Corso off. "Corso, don't be such a spoilsport. What do you say, Vista?"

"Sabaac?" Her brows drew together and her lips pursed before smoothing into a smile. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a friendly game."

"Great!" Darmas said as he rose from the sofa. "Get us a round of drinks, won't you, Corso?" He could tell the kid would rather do anything but. "There's a good man," he said with a grin as Corso headed towards the bar. "Come, my dear…the table awaits."

An hour later, Darmas sat back in his chair with a grunt. "You win again. That was…very impressive." He didn't like losing, so he certainly didn't let her win. That she did, was concerning. It would appear the woman had brains to go along with her big breasts.

"Impressive? Vista cleaned your chrono, Darmas," Corso said with more glee than he should have felt. He knew he was just plain jealous of the attention she was giving Darmas. He wanted to flirt with Vista – but he didn't want her to think he was treating her as anything less than the lady that plumb stole his heart.

Darmas rubbed his chin as he rose to resume his seat back on the sofa. "Hmmm…I'd say you've played this game before."

Annalyn laughed, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.

Vista's grin grew slowly until merriment danced in her eyes. "I never said I was a beginner."

Darmas chuckled. "Then I'm a victim of my own assumptions. Well played, my _friend_." His hand rose to his ear. "Hold on, I'm receiving an alert from my network." He rose, his gaze settling on Vista. "Looks like your efforts have paid off. My informants witnessed Skavak fighting someone and fleeing into Justicar territory. Looks like we've got him! Odd though, the justicars don't tolerate outsiders. Skavak must truly be desperate to risk his life going there."

That was music to her ears. "He knows we won't stop. He's a scared little man running out of options."

Darmas took her hand and gave it a brief squeeze before letting it go. "Play your hand carefully, my dear. My instincts tell me Skavak hasn't shown all his cards yet."

She had to force herself not to wipe away his touch. "You've been a real prince, Darmas. I won't forget it."

He took a step closer to her, inhaling the scent that was uniquely hers. He knew he was playing with fire, but the rewards were worth the danger. "I hope this isn't the last time we see each other. I can't help but think there's more to our relationship than revenge on Skavak. I think we complement each other well."

Corso stepped forward angling his body between theirs. "I may have been a bit hasty when I said we could trust Darmas…"

Corso…ever the white knight and obviously very taken with the beautiful Vista. "Relax, son. Vista can make her own decisions." His gaze lowered to meet hers. "I hope you make Skavak pay for all his crimes. And…I'm hoping to see you again soon."

He'd heard more than enough from Darmas. He wanted Vista far away from the cagey old man. "We need to go, Vista. We can't let Skavak get away again," Corso warned her.

Annalyn bit the inside of her cheek. Maybe she should clue Vista in on what was going on. No…no…this was far more fun. Would Corso fall deeper in love? Would he discover it was only some childhood fantasy? Or would he grow a pair, stop playing nice and just kiss her? She doubted Vista would take a man seriously until he took himself seriously. She knew she wouldn't. Time would see how this played out.

Corso shook his head when they got a break from the fighting. "Darmas wasn't kidding about the justicars. They're surlier than a bronto in rut. There!" He said pointing to a doorway. "That is where we're to meet Juul and Jiik."

Juul crossed her arms over her chest. "You're the captain, right? About time you got here. Thanks to you, the justicars snagged my brother Jiik. Never should have tangled ourselves in your cloudhead business."

Her eyes narrowed on the belligerent kid. "I get that you're worried about your brother, kid. But it is not _my_ fault you chose to take the job, nor is it _my_ fault that he was captured. You did what you did for credits. Pure and simple – just like we all do. So, grow up and accept responsibility for the choices _you_ choose to make. Good or ill, choices have consequences. Now, let's just focus on what matters. Your brother and Skavak."

"I'm Juul – not kid! And what do you know? You live in the clouds. You don't know anything about turfer land."

Her gaze hardened. "What do I know? I wasn't born on a ship, _kid_. I know what it means to take chances. I know what it means to face loss. I know what it means to fight to survive. So, don't tell me what I don't know. If you want respect, then act like an adult and earn it, before I forget you're just worried and turn you over my knee. Now, if you want my help then tell me what happened."

She swallowed her temper. Where there was one informant there were others and she knew she couldn't rescue her brother on her own. As much as it galled her, she needed the cloudhead's help. "Jiik and I were tailing Skavak when the justicars came after us. Jiik stuck to Skavak, I drew off the justicars. I lost those helmet-brains easy, but they snagged Jiik and hauled him off to their detention center! If you want Skavak, then rescue my brother!"

"I already told you I'd help you find your brother. Now, lose the chip on your shoulder before someone decides to knock it off," she warned the girl.

"Are you threatening me?" Juul hissed.

"No. And it's sad you don't know the difference between a warning and a threat. Not everyone's as nice as I am, kid. You mouth off to the wrong person and Jiik will lose you – is that what you want? Him trying to survive without you?"

"No," she grumbled.

Maybe she'd finally gotten through to the girl. "Then stop giving me grief and work with me to find your brother."

"Fine. I'll send you the coordinates of where they took him. You must destroy all the droid-eyes so that you are not seen. I don't want them coming after him later. Here," she said, handing Vista a holocommunicator. "Give this to my brother so we can contact each other. Remember – destroy the droid-eyes."

There were a lot of droid-eyes in the cell block…and a lot of justicars. Since they were unwilling to negotiate with words, they let their blasters do the talking. She was stunned to find Miel in one of the holding cells. "I did not expect to find you here."

"Deputy!" Miel felt relief flood through him. "I did not expect to be incarcerated. These lawbreakers pretended to be peaceful officers. That is a severe offense under Statute 52974 of the Sullustan Criminal Code. The fugitive Skavak ambushed me and fled. The justicars interrupted my pursuit and demanded I surrender."

"Why didn't you contact us? I thought we were working together on this," she admonished.

"I would have, but my holotransmitter was destroyed during Skavak's ambush. I did not want to harm people I believed were local authorities, so I surrendered. I became aware of my error when they incarcerated me."

She moved to the control panel next to the door and shut down the holofield. "We have one more person to rescue and then we'll join you in the hunt."

Miel nodded. "This is the second time you have come to my aid. I owe you a significant debt. When I return to Sullust, I will file a Form 453391 and request an official commendation for your actions today."

"We'll see you soon, Miel. In the meantime, take care of yourself." Further down she saw a kid that appeared like he'd been through a beating. She deactivated the controls. "Corso…can you help him stand?"

She flipped on the holo after Corso got Jiik to his feet. "Your sister sent us, Jiik."

He tried to smile but failed when his sister popped up on the holo. It hurt too bad to smile. "Hey, sis. I knew you wouldn't forget about me. Who's the cloudhead?"

"The captain Darmas asked us to help. What happened when you followed Skavak? How did the justicars snag you?"

He grunted and leaned heavily on Corso when a bolt of pain shot through his body. "Saw something I wasn't supposed to see. I caught the justicars trading supplies with the Empire. Skavak and the imps were laughing about something. The imps took Skavak into The Works."

"Thank you! We'll head to the Works."

Juul's mouth fell open. "Are you crazy?" she asked. "The Works is nothing but toxic ruins and berserk droids. People who go down there don't come back. If you follow them, you are braver than I thought…or dumber."

Jiik took a step away from Corso's support. "I want to go home now. This is the worst party I've ever been to."

"Jiik – remember the tunnel we found? Crawl in and come to the warehouse. I'll hide you from the justicars."

He groaned. "Great, Juul. I'm going to smell like rancor droppings for a week. Thanks for busting me out, Captain." He took the holotransmitter the captain handed him. "Good luck down in the Works, Captain. You'll all need it."

"Well, hell." Vista shrugged.  "I can't contact Miel since he lost his holotransmitter. Let's go - Skavak's not getting away again."

"No, Vista…he's not," Annalyn agreed wholeheartedly.

The Works were nothing like what Vista had imagined. If she ever had to go to The Works again – hang that thought. She was never going to The Works again. There were few people living down here, those that did weren't quite right in the head. Exposure to the toxins, she imagined. The further they went in, the more imps they saw. However, they appeared to be focused in one area of The Works, so that was the direction they went.

There were a lot less imps in The Works by the time they located Skavak. She drew her gun and marched up to Skavak. "End of the line, Skavak!"

Commander Kasstroff shot a glare at his men. "Is it too much to ask that someone guard the entrance of our base?"

Skavak smiled, impressed despite being caught. "Captain. Seriously. I admire your persistence, but this is ridiculous."

"Who is this woman, Skavak, one of your conquests?"

"She wishes," Skavak scoffed.

Corso jerked his blaster towards Skavak. "You're going to be nothing but a floor stain when we're done with you, Skavak!" he growled.

"Corso – heard about your job. Don't let unemployment make you bitter." He laughed when a realization dawned on him. "No…I don't think you care about that job - I think you're jealous at the thought of Vista in my bed." His gaze moved to the vibrant woman. "Were you the one that fouled up my identity record and sent half the galaxy chasing me? That wasn't very nice, Vista."

"It's all about the love, Skavak," she sneered sarcastically.

Skavak chuckled. "Love…I knew you wanted me. Is that why my record states I have Bothan Nether Rot? Couldn't stand seeing me with another woman? You'll just have to face that it's over between us, sweetheart."

"There's only one way this is going to end between us, _sweetheart_."

He shook his head. "Haven't you had enough revenge on me? Did you have to frame me as an undercover agent? That was below the belt – even for you."

Her brows rose and her mouth fell open in shock. "You're an undercover agent? So that's why you're working deals with the imps…this is a sting operation! I'm not a part of all of this!" She yelled to the non-existent agents.

"Skavak? "But the man was already running off. "Kill them all!" Commander Kasstroff bellowed. "And bring me Skavak's head on a plate."

Miel darted into the fray. "Attention, Imperial lawbreakers. You are in violation of Statute 1983 of the Sullustan Criminal Code. Drop your weapons and surrender the gem!"

"How dare you talk to me!" the Commander huffed. "Who do you think you are giving me orders? You're as good as dead, alien filth."

Miel ignored him. "I have already disabled your comlinks and cut you off from any reinforcements! Drop your weapons now!"

Miel took a blaster bolt to the chest and went down hard, but they could do nothing until the imps were no longer a threat. As soon as the last one fell, she darted over to the lawman's side. "We'll get you to a kolto tank."

He coughed, blood spraying from his mouth. "It's too late for that. I'm – I'm unable to…to maintain," he coughed again, "pursuit of Skavak. Here…codes…docking bay 87. Find…" a coughing fit over took him. "Bring him to justice…for me…"

A final rattle brought only silence. She rose and sent an anonymous message to Cor-Sec explaining about the imps and the lawman they'd killed in The Works. She hoped they'd send him home.

"Poor little guy, he never deserved to go out like this," Corso murmured.

"No. He was a good man with a noble soul," she said as she reached for his hand and gave it a brief squeeze. She looked up into his blue eyes. "I don't think many are lucky enough to get what they deserve. I've been far luckier than most and maybe that's not fair either."

"Come on, you two. We have a man's dying wish to fulfill," Annalyn reminded them.

They followed Annalyn, who appeared to know exactly where to go. "Over there – that's docking bay 87." She shrugged. "I've used it before. Gimme a sec…I've got the door."

Inside were only a handful of people. She thought there'd be more security.

"Excuse me," Fabizan said with a raised hand to halt the intruders. "In case it wasn't obvious by the locked door you sliced through, this is a private docking bay."

"I'm sure, but it's also a private docking bay with a very stolen ship in its hold. A ship with MY name, Vista Fox, so let me ask you this….do you want me to bring the authorities in to investigate your activities or will you stand aside so I claim my ship?"

"I'm sorry, Skavak paid a lot of money for security. My hands are tied," he told her.

Corso and Annalyn raised their blasters and put holes int the heads of the two security guards. She blinked and looked at the man left standing. "You were saying?"

Skavak did not pay him enough to die. "Yes…your ship. I've been taking good care of it. All the cargo's still on board. Even had it detailed. No harm done…right?"

"Not yet," Corso growled. "But you owe Vista something for all her trouble."

Fabizan nodded briskly. "I could give you a nice ship upgrade and charge it to Skavak's account. Interested?"

"You bet I am," she said with a grin and slapped her blaster back onto her magbelt. She winked at Corso. "Thanks for the thought, farm boy."

She gave them a quick tour of her ship while they waited for the upgrades to be finished.

Annalyn's throat tightened up. "Nic had a ship just like this one. I miss that old ship as much I miss that old bastard."

"I can't give you back your husband, but if you want to trade ships," she teased to try to lighten her friend's mood.

Annalyn blinked as a spark of hope warmed her insides. "You would be willing to trade?" She held her breath, barely daring to hope.

"Wait…you're serious? You would trade my old girl for your very expensive, much newer ship?" She couldn't not have heard Annalyn right.

"Just because something is old, it does not make it any less of a ship. I know exactly what's under your girl's hood. Some of the best years of my life was spent in her sister. There were none available when I was looking for a ship. Building one to look just like this XS Freighter would not have been the same. It wouldn't have the age, the character, the weight. It would have been a mockery. But if you're willing…I'd give just about anything for this old girl. And if she needs more upgrades – I've got the creds to see it done."

"If you are sure you this is what you want, I can hardly turn down a ship like yours. But I'd like to get my things and the core identi-chip."

Annalyn's smile glowed and she hugged Vista tightly. "Of course! It wouldn't do for me to be flying around in the Vista Fox. Come, we'll make use of the droids in our bays to swap out our belongings. And I'll go grab my core identi-chip! Be right back!"

She looked at Corso and at the woman that was all but running from the hangar bay. "This seems like a weird dream. Why would anyone make such a trade?"

Corso shook his head. It did seem like a dream. "Maybe for sentimental reasons? Her past and memories are important to her. Maybe that's what she fights for?"

"Maybe…Let's get those droids to start unloading the freight."

As they descended the ramp and ran into Fabizan.

"Do I work fast or what? You're going to let Fabizan scoot along now? I've got other business far, far away from here."

"Sure thing…just have the droids unload everything and move it the ship in docking bay 85 before you leave. My ship's under a new command."

"I – yes…of course. Thank you." He hurried away. In moments, droids and small lift vehicles were ascending the ramp into the belly of her old ship. She gripped Corso's hand. "I can't believe this is happening. This is really happening!"

A dark-haired woman skirted the droids and dashed down the ramp. "What is going on? Where are they taking my things? I demand an explanation. And who are you – one of Skavak's special friends?"

Vista cocked a brow and released the hand she'd captured. "I am Vista -the ship's owner. Or at least I was. I've traded ships with a friend of mine. My things are being transferred to my new ship."

"That so? What an interesting development. My name's Risha. I've been traveling with Skavak as part of a business arrangement. He and I had a deal to deliver the items that are being moved, as we speak," she pointed to the old droid and the man in carbonite."

Vista grunted. "Skavak isn't known for honoring his deals."

Risha nodded. "Then maybe my luck is about to change. Hey – be careful with that head, will you?"

She shuddered at the sight of the head in a jar. "I do not want to know where that came from."

"Probably for the best. And you're right – Skavak is proving unreliable. So, I will give you the same offer I gave him. It's simple. You make the deliveries and I make you filthy rich."

"I think I can live with that. My new ship is in docking bay 85, if you want to head on over there. I can't leave this ship unguarded until Annalyn claims it. Pardon me – I need to retrieve the core identi-chip." She hurried up the ramp and into the belly of her ship. She doubted it would be the last time she'd be aboard it, but the next time it would be under someone else's ownership. She knew this ship inside and out, it had been with her for years, but she didn't have any sentimental memories. Maybe that would change with her new ship. She had people that were a part of her life now.

Most captains were unwilling to sell or trade their ships. When you know how your ship moves, when you work together as a fine-tuned machine…when your back's up against the wall, it is far better to be with the familiar than trying to learn new systems. But now that she'd found her ship, she had nothing better to do for the moment than learn the peculiarities of a new ship. "It's going to be a fun adventure…learning a new ship." She pulled out the identi-chip and slid it into her pocket. With a smile growing by the second she hurried down the ramp.

"Get him out of that cage now!" Annalyn growled.

She noticed Risha holding a blaster on Annalyn. "Whoa there…Annalyn's with us. She the new owner of…this ship."

Risha glared at the metallic haired woman, her blaster did not waver. "She is trying to free my Shanjaru. Not only do we need him, but he'd kill anyone who gets in his way and I don't want to have to kill something we need."

Annalyn leaned in but didn't draw her blaster…yet. "Dibble belongs to me. My husband brought him home and we raised him from a cub. Skavak stole him from me and you are not taking him anywhere!"

"Dibble?" Vista asked with a smirk.

"Don't judge. We were drunk, but Dibble liked his name and refused to acknowledge another."

Vista looked at Risha and nodded. "I'm sorry, Risha, she's telling the truth. Dibble is hers, that's one run we won't be able to make."

Risha slid her blaster back into its holster. "We have to come up with another plan. We need to make that delivery."

"Voss," Annalyn stated. "If you have other deliveries, then make them. I'll fly to Voss and pick up a male mawvorr. Even a blood test could not tell a shanjaru and a mawvorr. Same animal – different planet."

Risha's face brightened with a smile. That woman was as devious as she was. "I think I'm going to like you." She tossed Annalyn the keys. "But I'll let you unlock the cage."

Annalyn cooed all over her baby before sending a droid to move the cage back into her new ship. "Some of your things were already being loaded onto the new Vista Fox. I had to remove the retinal biometric scanner, it only worked for me. There were two protection droids that came with the ship, they are yours now. Any quirks I should be aware of?"

"She tends to drift a bit to the left on take-off, but otherwise she's well behaved. I've repaired the thrusters, but thruster 2A needs replaced. I haven't been able to afford that yet – sorry." She felt the heat sting her cheeks.

Annalyn squeezed her arm. "Hey, hon…don't be. I'm getting something I've wanted for longer than you've been alive. It's obvious you've taken good care of her – that's what matters. I'll be sinking creds into her anyway…to personalize her," she said with a shrug.

"The last of your items have been loaded onto the new Lucky Star, master," the droid informed Annalyn.

"Thank you, CJ. You, CD and EN can all board. Here…give this to EN to install," she said as she handed him the biometric scanner. "I'll be there in a moment." Her eyes fastened onto Vista's. "I hope you are going to enjoy your new ship as much as I am. I really – I can't thank you enough for doing this for me. It doesn't bring my husband back, of course…but I feel closer to him."

Her red brows drew together in concern for her friend's mental health. "Is that…healthy?"

She laughed softly. "Not for most people. But Nic and I…we were bound together long ago. There can never be anyone for me but him. And that is a story for another time."

"Thanks for everything, Annalyn. The ship…Voss…if you find yourself bored...we can always use another partner."

"See you soon, hon…and maybe I'll just take you up on that. It's been a long time since I worked with someone else. I think I'm going to like it." She hugged Vista, shook the hands of Corso and Risha. "Come on, Dibble. Let's haul jets."

Vista smiled at the large shanjaru bouncing around her friend like a puppy. They were considered cat-like, but it looked like an oversized puppy to her. A few minutes after the pair disappeared into the ship a golden droid hurried down the ramp. By the time it reached the bottom, the ramp was lifting.

"I am quite sure I do not know why I was asked to leave the ship with all due hasted. I have been assigned to the Vista Fox. Have I displeased the captain?" it asked.

"I am the captain of the Vista Fox – that is no longer the Vista Fox, it is the Lucky Star. But I think I'd remember if I had a droid, which I didn't. You are free to go."

"Go? Master! You are the captain of the Vista Fox? Then you are my new master. I am C2-N2. I am your protocol and maintenance droid. I will do everything I can to keep the crew and ship running smoothly," it informed her.

"Well, follow us then, C2. The new Vista Fox is in docking bay 85." When they arrived, she came to a stop and sucked in her breath. Corso took her hand and she didn't think anything about clamping down on it. "This is really happening. She's mine. Almost hard to imagine. Even stranger is that I have Skavak to thank for it."

He couldn't take his eyes off the captain. She was glowing like a dola flower on a hot summer's day. "Maybe I'll thank him for us before I put a hole in his head."

Risha's gaze shifted from Corso to Vista. "Are you two an item or something?" she asked, motioning her finger between them.

She hastily let go of Corso's hand. "We're just friends. We've been through a lot together, so we're pretty close." She hurried up the ramp and into her new ship. She needed to plug in the core identi-chip so they could take off.

"Are you going to tell her how you feel about her?" Risha inquired with a raised brow.

"I need to prove I'm worthy first," Corso replied as he hurried up the ramp.

Risha's lips twitched in amusement. Well…isn't that interesting. Stupid but interesting. If he didn't tell her how he felt about her he risked losing her. Odd that he didn't realize that. Not that she would enlighten him. No, this was far more intriguing…something she could watch unfold while they dealt with the cargo.

Vista spun around in a gleeful circle. She felt like a kid in a candy shop. She'd gone over every nook and cranny on the ship and everything was perfect...luxurious and perfect. Who would have thought that a freighter would be luxurious? But it was! Seats were made of the finest leather grain that would mold to you when you sat down, as if you were sitting on a cloud. The bed in the captain's quarters must have been made out of some sort of gel. It had give to it but thicker than water and moved with you as it cradled you. She had wondered what it would be like make love on such a bed.

Like her old ship, the main deck curved around in a circle, with the other rooms all coming off the main deck. No hoses or tubes could be seen anywhere. It was too bad the blasters were gone, but she should make enough on Risha's deliveries that she could buy Rogun another shipment of blasters. Or maybe she wouldn't. She didn't give a hot damn about Rogun. She had only been trying to help Viidu because she cared. But Viidu was dead now and Corso was safe with her. She really had no motivation to do anything for the tantrum throwing Rogun. She did her job – she wasn't responsible for someone else's job…especially a dead man's.

She met up with Corso on the bridge, received permission to depart and set a course for the coordinates she input. She was eager to put the new Vista Fox through her paces and it appeared, by the expression of Corso's face, that he agreed wholeheartedly.


	4. A StarWars Fable-Prologue Trooper

SWTOR

An Old Republic Tale

Prologue

Trooper – The Fall of Havoc

Ord Mantell

It was hard to believe they'd chosen her to be transferred into the special forces unit, Havoc Squad. The best of the best - and she was now part of that famous team. Her, a cathar. She thought for sure Thorman Johns, a talented human, would have gotten the position, even if his achievements were not quite on par with hers. As far as she was aware, only two non-humans had ever been a part of Havoc Squad, both of which were active duty currently.

The shuttle buffeted back and forth, distracting her from her thoughts. She gripped her chair until her knuckles felt numb as the shuttle hurtled through the crossfire between enemy ships. When it finally landed, she retracted her claws, their scrape against the metal seat seemingly unheard by the humans around her. But she'd heard it and it embarrassed her.

She squared her shoulders as she stepped out of the shuttle and into the hazy air of a warzone. She looked around, not quite sure whom she was to meet, but the large soldier in Havoc armor told her what she needed to know. She walked up to the soldier and saluted. With his return salute, he beckoned her to follow him onto the massive transport walker. So, she was either right where she needed to be or they would both soon have an eye-opening surprise.

Once seated Gearbox stretched out. "Ah…there's not a feeling in this galaxy like riding in a hundred-ton walker right through the middle of a combat zone, huh, kid?"

The driver popped on the intercom, preventing her from replying.

"Approaching Drelliad Village, sir. Scopes show small arms fire and enemy movements in all quarters. Separatists are definitely moving on the objective."

Gearbox looked over at the rookie. "Another beautiful day on Ord Mantell. You excited, kid? Nervous? You know, Wynter L'Vae,….you're the first new entry into Havoc Squad in some time."

"Do you know why they added another squad member?" she asked.

"The higher ups thought the fighting on Ord Mantell was getting too intense – they thought we need another pair of hands. Hell, maybe we do," he said with a chuckle.

"I'll fight the enemies with everything I've got, sir"

He found it hard to dislike the new recruit. She reminded him of his early, unjaded years. What he would give to have that feeling once more. The feeling of being on top of the world, full of belief and trust. Maybe her new, fresh outlook would help rekindle that in him. No, he was too old and beyond saving. Too much had happened for him to ever feel that way again. "No need to call me _sir_. We're in the field – you can lose the formality. Showing deference in the field can get an officer killed, kid. I'm Lieutenant Bex Kolos, but everyone in Havoc calls me Gearbox. We're a tight unit – you'll like it with us. Let me tell you why we're here. The separatists have nabbed a Republic bomb off a downed transport – a serious bomb, one of those orbital strike numbers. There's no telling where these grimy bushwhackers have hidden the thing. They have popular support and hideouts everywhere. Finding the bomb won't be easy."

"Maybe not, but we'll find it anyway, Gearbox – even if I have put my nose to the ground and sniff. I'm a damned good tracker," she said with a grin.

He couldn't help but laugh at that. It probably wasn't politically correct, but it was her joke. And it was true cathar noses could rival most canine noses. "I like you, kid. Wish you could have joined Havoc sooner." He leaned back in his seat. He'd have to be careful around her, she was too damned easy to talk to. "You'll get a full op brief once we rejoin Fort Garnik. For now, just sit back and -"

An explosion rocked the walker, smoke filled the cabin.

"Code red! Code red! We've been hit by an AP missile! A shoulder-launcher from somewhere in the village. Everyone hold on -" His words caught in his throat; he saw the rocket a moment before it slammed into the cockpit.

Gearbox grabbed his side with a grimace, the concussion damned near broke his ribs. "Damn it! The driver's down. Backwater separatists aren't supposed to have armor-piercing missiles! They'll tear up every convoy that passes through here!"

She rubbed the back of her neck and stretched her back. "If command didn't have that intel before, they sure do now. Hell of a fine wake up call, but a damned good objective. That arsenal needs removed from enemy hands."

"I agree with you, kid – that's why I'm sending you. Fixing things is my specialty, kid – I'm nowhere near the fighter you are. I'll stay behind and get this walker moving again. You disable the separatists' missile launchers. Understood?"

"Understood, s – Gearbox."

"The separatists will probably have their missile launchers piled together in a cache somewhere in the village. I'm sure you can track it." His lips twitched as he turned to open the door. "You can bet that cache will be heavily guarded. Find the cache, disable the missile launchers and then double time it back here. Got it, Wolf?"

"Oh, you are a laugh a minute, Gearbox. Looks like the Wolf's going hunting." She slipped around the LT and out the door.

"I really like you, kid…good luck," he murmured, his voice as somber as his mood.

The sights and sounds of war were everywhere. Civil wars were some of the nastiest…brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor. The thought of such a thing curdled her blood. There were no winners in a civil war.

As expected, Drelliad Village was filled with separatists. But the greasy, charred scent of the fresh fired artillery led her to the cache of launchers. After she destroyed the cache, she hurried out of the village and slipped behind a tree that looked as if it had lived its last season.

She pulled out her holotransmitter. "Mission accomplished, Gearbox," she informed the LT.

"Nice work, Wolf! You've got talent – there's no denying that. I, however, didn't have much success. This walker isn't gonna be moving anytime soon."

"If it was possible, you'd have fixed it."

Damned if he didn't regret what was going to happen. Not for him, but for her. He would change things if he could, but there was no going back. "Thanks, Wolf. Shame about the driver, though. Poor guy never had a chance. I'm gonna stay here and salvage all the goodies off this wreck before someone else does. You better head for Formt Garnik. Stay sharp out there. I'll see you later."

No sooner has she stepped into the Republic Command Center when she was flagged down by a young soldier. Gearbox called her _kid_, before he gave her a nickname – but she was nowhere near as young as this kid.

Farn cleared his throat nervously. She wasn't what he expected at all. She was a cathar, but she was far more stunning than he'd have thought possible. Her silky coat was as white as snow, black markings lined her blue eyes making them look like large, bright blue gems on a bed of black velvet. Her lips full and inviting – not like the LT at all. Her blonde hair was tousled as if she'd just gotten out of bed. He flushed at where his thoughts had gone. "Excuse me, Sergeant? Uh – sorry to interrupt, but you're the new member of Havoc Squad, aren't you? I'm Farn, sir…ma'am. Private Farn. It's a real honor to meet you! Ord Mantell is my first post – I can't believe I'm here the same time as Havoc Squad!" He sucked in a breath. "And you're so…or, wha – what I mean to say is, uh, sir…ma'am, is that I wasn't expecting you to be so…"

"So…charming? Pretty? Strong? Intelligent? Any will do, private…I'm not picky."

Heat flooded into his cheeks. "Yes – yes…all of that. And…and more. If you don't mind sir…why is Havoc Squad on Ord Mantell?"

She smiled at the young man and hoped like hell he'd live to see the end of the war. "I'm sorry, private. We're special forces and I can't discuss the details of our mission. But I'm always open if you need someone to talk to, private."

She was willing to talk to him? Maybe ….no…not right now. But maybe soon. "Uh…thank you, sir! I won't take up any more of your time. I'm sure you have lots of important things to do."

"Then, I will talk to you later, private."

"I hope so, sir! Good bye!"

She spotted Havoc Squad and moved in to join them after the private rushed off.

Tavus frowned. "If we focus our efforts on M-sector, I'm certain that – Sergeant! Wolf! Welcome…welcome! Good to have you here. I'm Commander Harron Tavus, Havoc Squad's commanding officer. We're all excited to have some new blood in the unit. Let me introduce you to the other members of Havoc. My second in command, Captain Zora," he said, motioning to the mirialan, "is the squad's infiltration and assassination specialist. We call her Wraith."

"Wolf," Wraith said with a smirk.

"This is Fuse – Lt Vanto Bazren," he motioned to the zabrak. "He's an expert with every type of explosive in the known galaxy."

Fuse inclined his head. Gearbox had already talked about the newest member. It seemed the human quite liked her. He had heard the hesitation in his friend's voice. Was there something special about the cathar that gave Gearbox pause? "Oh, uh, yes…hello, Sergeant…er – Wolf. Good to meet you."

And this is Needles, Lt Ryler Dorant. Needles is a medical genius – he's particularly adept at synthesizing powerful new combat stimulants. And adrenals."

Needles bowed. "Perfection is my art, Wolf. It will be my honor to help you perform at your very best."

Something about the small man didn't sit well with her. She would give him a chance…he was part of the team, but she didn't trust him.

Tavus studied the new Sergeant for a brief moment. She didn't look green or nervous, but he'd keep an eye on her all the same, too much was riding on what happened here. "And, of course, you met Gearbox on your way here, so that's everyone. People, this is the new sergeant, Wynter L'Vae, otherwise called the Wolf." He grinned. "Don't think of the name as an insult. Gearbox only names people he likes. Wolf ranked first in the Academy in Forward Assault, Search and Destroy and Advance Recon. She proved her merit on Taris with difficult op and we are looking forward to see what she can do with Havoc Squad. It's good to have you, Wolf."

She inclined her head to the group. "It is a pleasure to be working with you all."

Tavus resumed his pacing. "Now, the reason we are all here: A Republic transport, carrying amongst its cargo, a ZR-57 orbital strike bomb, crashed into northern Avilatan six days ago."

"It sounds like someone on our side tipped off the seps," she put forth. Though, no doubt they'd already considered that.

Tavis gave a slight nod. "Yes, we've already considered that possibility – but we don't have time for a mole hunt. Recovering that bomb is priority one. We're investigating several leads to the bomb's location. But the one I'd like you to look into, Wolf, comes from a Republic spy named Bellis. He's too deep to exfiltrate, so I'll need you to rendezvous with him in Talloran Village in a small alley. I'll get you the coordinates. Find out what he'd discovered, then return immediately. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," she replied stiffly. Tavus was not as easy to get along with as Gearbox. But it looked like Fuse might be the only other squad member she'd get on with…maybe the others will be more reachable after they work together for awhile and build a connection.

"I have one last introduction to make: This is Lt Aric Jorgan, an operations officer from the Republic's Ord Mantell's Infantry Command. Since we're on individual missions to search for this bomb, Lt Jorgan is coordinating our efforts from the mission room here."

One look at her and he knew she'd be trouble. He hadn't expected her to be cathar. He hadn't expected her scent to affect him. He hadn't expected to be drawn to her and that was unacceptable on too many levels. "All right, Sergeant," he growled. "I'll be overseeing your op through the camera mounted on your armor, so I see what you see. It's activated when you leave the fort." He leaned in aggressively. "I'll make this completely clear, rookie – when you're in the field, what I say goes. Period."

"With all due respect, sir, I have battle experience. I may not have served with Havoc Squad, but I'm no rookie," she pointed out.

"The other members of Havoc have proven themselves on dozens of ops, Sergeant," he growled. "You haven't."

"I have, sir" she growled back. "Check my record."

He was all but in her face, yet he couldn't pull back just yet. She challenged him and he found it invigorating. "I don't care what you did somewhere else. What I care about is what you've done here – which is nothing." His lip rose in a snarl, flashing his fangs. He wasn't sure why he did that, he'd never reacted that way to another soldier. He was an officer not an animal. He straightened to regain his composure. "Just make your way to Talloran, meet with Bellis, and find out what he knows without screwing anything up. Can you handle that, _Sergeant_?" He'd be damned if he was going to call a cathar 'Wolf'.

Tavus studied Jorgan as he walked away. The cathar was not acting like himself. Indeed, he nearly took a bite out of the newest member of Havoc Squad. But she'd stayed her ground, as she should. As Gearbox had said, she was a good fit for Havoc – the timing of her arrival was unfortunate. "Good luck in Talloran, Wolf. Dismissed."

The first thing she did was rent a speeder. If time was essential walking to the villiage wasn't an option.

Talloran, she discovered was pocked and scarred by war. It also seemed to be occupied by seps. Not just a few, but a whole town of seps. She saw a few people dart into their homes when they saw her as if they knew what was going to happen and didn't want to see it…or didn't want to risk getting hurt. She couldn't imagine living like that.

She skirted through the back allies behind the fabricated homes and buildings. She found a body of a man and rolled him over. He'd been shot and the body was stone cold. He'd been dead for a while. She ruffled through his pockets, but could not find identification.

Her holo chimed and she pulled it out.

Her first mission and she failed. He should have expected it. A woman that pretty didn't belong in a uniform, much less Havoc. "Great, Bellis is KIA. That's some fine work, _Sergeant_! Do you think you could've taken a little longer to get to the RV point?"

"Is that how you're going to play this, _Lieutenant_? I rented a speeder, at my own expense, because you didn't see fit to requisition me one. Imagine how late I'd have been if I had to walk here? His body was cold. If you'd needed someone here sooner, you should have sent someone before I arrived at Command…or you could have called me in the field. I will take the blame when it's mine,_ sir_. But I will not shoulder the blame of others."

By _others_ he knew she meant him and what galled him most was she was right. She was calling him out at every turn and he found that a mixture of annoying as hell and irritatingly arousing. "The mission isn't over, sergeant. There is a chance you might be able to find out what Bellis learned. If he followed procedure, Bellis should've left a coded recording of his discovery in his field box, hidden somewhere inside his home in Talloran. I'm sending you the coordinates. Remember – if the seps know Bellis was a spy, they may already be searching his house or waiting to ambush Republic agents when they come. Stay alert and double time it!"

"Roger that."

"Jorgan out."

She followed the coordinates and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She hurried into the home, worried about the man's family. No one was downstairs. She took the stairs two at a time.

Lin jumped up from her chair at the intrusion. "Excuse me? What are you doing in my house? Is there no limit to your nerve?" she asked loudly. "You barricade the town, you break into people's homes…" She lowered her voice and hissed. "Are you insane? You're going to blow my husband's cover! Storming in here in plain view – what were you thinking?" She shook her head. "Bellis isn't even here – he left for some meeting. Now, get out of here before you raise suspicions!"

"I'm sorry ma'am, I was sent in to find your husband…he'd been…shot by the separatists. Words do not describe how sorry I am. I would have fought to save him if I could have."

She held her hand out and shook her head. "No….no…not Bellis. He can't be gone...he can't…no…" Pain gripped her heart and her body shuddered, unable to cope. Cold fury seeped into every pore. "Bellis risked his life every day for you and now you've gotten him killed! My poor, sweet Bellis…A good man, dead because of some stupid war on some backwater planet that no one even cares about!"

This was the first casualty she'd had to bring to a family. But she well remembered what it was like and she was determined it would not be as cold as the what her family had received. "Your husband died a hero, ma'am. He will be remembered and posthumously honored for his sacrifice. I know that is a cold, meaningless comfort. I've never been married, but my father died in war. I can understand you're the deep pain of loss. My father and I were very close. Being a hero meant nothing when I all I wanted then was his arms around me one more time. You truly have my deepest sympathies, which is why I'm sorry that I have to ask anything more from you. But, ma'am…a lot of innocent lives are on the line. Your husband's field box should contain the information to help us save countless lives – and we're running out of time to save them."

She wanted to hate the woman in front of her – and she did. With all of her heart. And a small part of her wanted others to suffer the pain she was suffering, but she knew she'd never be able to live with herself if she allowed families to die just because she was hurting. "Your sympathies mean little to me right now. You're alive my husband isn't…but I don't want to be the reason that families are torn apart. His field box is over there," she said, pointing to the box next to the shelving unit. "Take it and get out."

She picked up the box and looked at the distraught wife. "Ma'am…you should consider leaving as soon as possible. I can send a soldier to escort you to safety."

"No…" Lin said hoarsely. "Just leave…"

Two armed men were waiting for her downstairs. She quietly set the box down and shot them before they knew she was there. They had not been honorable deaths, but she could not risk them getting past her to attack the widow. She hefted one body over her shoulder, carried it outside and dumped it behind a nearby building. She returned to do the same for the other. She was not about to leave two bodies rotting in the widow's home as a thank you from the Republic. She picked up the box again, balanced it in front of her on the seat of the speeder and headed back to Command, careful to avoid being detected. She could not risk the information inside being destroyed.

Fuse smiled when he saw the newest member of Havoc walk in. "Wolf! You're back! Good job out there on Talloran, really nice work."

Jorgan descended on her. Unreasonable or not, he didn't appreciate the other man praising her. "I'll take the field box you retrieved, Sergeant." He had to stop himself from yanking it from her grasp. "Maybe next time you can bring me a live, republic agent instead."

She was really tired of his callous attitude towards her. He seemed to resent her or hate her on sight and she had no idea why. "Sure thing, _sir_. Maybe next time my walker won't be blown to hell. Maybe next time the shuttle will arrive hours sooner. Maybe, with all due respect, sir, next time I'll be able to pull a miracle out of my ass and revive the dead," she said as she released the field box a little more forcefully than she intended. She was surprised he did nothing but storm off to slam it down on a table. She had expected another slam. Maybe it was still coming.

"Lieutenant Bazren here still thinks you're mission worthy, so he has a task for you. He'll brief you while I start decoding Bellis' intel," Jorgan growled.

And there it was. The insult she'd expected. The man definitely had a burr up his ass when it came to her. Maybe she should offer him a laxative. She had to bite her cheek to keep the snort of laughter in check.

Fuse was appalled by Lt. Jorgan's behavior. It was highly irrational. Granted, the man could be an ass, but it was like he has a personal grudge against Wolf. "Never mind him – you did good, Wolf," he murmured so only she could hear. He cleared his throat. "We found an urgent lead while you were in Tallloran. The perfect op for our new assault specialist."

"Thank you," she responded quietly with a wink to show she understood. "What's the op, Fuse?"

Fuse nodded. "Here's what happened: This refugee comes into the fort, right? Not that unusual, but this guy says he knows about a sep bombing that was happening today. All we got was his name. Mirru – 'cause he was thrown out of the fort before we could get to him,"

That made absolutely zero sense. "What? Why would we throw an informant out? That sounds counterproductive."

Jorgan scoffed. "Bums come here every day, trying to trade _intel_ for credits. It's bogus ninety percent of the time, so the grunts usually chase them off."

Fuse rubbed his chin. "I suppose Mirru could be lying, but what if he does know about the ZR-57? We can't take that risk." He smiled at her. "I overheard you talking to the widow. You have far more diplomacy than any of the rest of us -that's why I wanted you to handle this assignment." He rolled his eyes when Jorgan grunted and nearly laughed when she choked down her own laughter. "Mirru is staying over in the refugee camp. See if you can find him there."

Jorgan looked up from his screen. "Now get to the refugee camp and get Mirru's intel, soldier. If this bombing is happening soon, there's no time to waste."

Fuse shot a glare to the other LT. "Grab a sandwich at the mess on the way to the refugee camp. Even the best of us need to refuel."

She stopped off at the mess, grabbed a sandwich and ate on the way. She liked Fuse. She had a good feeling about him. If the bombing was happening soon, they'd have sent someone the moment they heard about it. No, Jorgan was just being an ass. He was good at that.

The refugee camp was located on the outskirts of Fort Garnik. The second person she asked was able to point Mirru out to her and the man was highly irate about being knocked around by the soldiers he'd tried to confide in. She had to give him the credits out of her pocket to get him to talk to her. But in the end, he told her what he'd overheard. The intel sounded very legit and promising.

The moment she walked away her holo chimed. She walked a bit further to be out of hearing range and answered the call. "I would have called the moment I was out of hearing range. I want to investigate. It sounds legit," she informed Jorgan.

"Understood, soldier. I copied what Mirru said and I…I agree with you." He wasn't sure why that had been hard to say, but it was. "I want you to head for the road Mirru described and locate the seps hidden bombs. A troop convoy is scheduled to move through the area any minute now, so you need to get those bombs defused ASAP. Double time it, soldier!"

"Of course. I was already moving out."

"Jorgan out." He cut the call.

"_Jorgan out_," she murmured with his stern expression and then flushed. The man was getting to her. She could not wait until Havoc got reassigned. Until then, she would find a way to cope. Maybe blow off some steam with Fuse or Gearbox.

She'd had to take out about fifteen seps, but she'd been able to defuse the three bombs she'd found. But, no doubt, that wouldn't be good enough for Jorgan. Nothing she did could ever be good enough for that surly man.

She stilled the moment she walked into command to turn and look at the private who was waving her down.

"Private Farn, good to see you again. Is something wrong?" she inquired. The private seemed…frazzled.

"I'm very sorry to bother you," he said, rocking from foot to foot. "But you're the only person I could think to go to. You said we could talk…and…"

She smiled warmly at him to calm him down. "And I meant it. What's concerning you?"

He knew he was laying his life on the line here, but he didn't know what else to do. She was his only hope. "All the other officers I've met here are completely corrupt – all but you, sir. I – I know I can trust you."

"Of course you can, Private. Now, speak freely – what's this about."

He slipped his hands behind his aback and gripped them together tightly. "It's my CO, LT Virk. He's scamming everyone in his command and nobody does anything about it. Virk forces all of us to kick up to him to get safe postings. Credits, weapons, stuff we confiscate from the seps…everything. If you don't play along, he assigns you to the most dangerous patrol routes. It's a death sentence. My buddy tried to report him. The next day he was assigned to Talloran, the day after he came home in a box."

She hated what she was hearing. The abuse of command was repugnant on every level. "I will speak to my superiors about LT Virk's activities immediately, Private."

"You – you will? Oh, I knew I could count on you! Thank you so much. You are so…wow! Sir…ma'am…you are amazing!"

She could feel the heat in her cheeks and was glad it would not be noticeable through the short, tight hairs on her face. "I'm just like you, soldier. The abuse of command is not acceptable. Virk needs stopped – and I'll make sure he is." She hurried away before he could shower her with any more praise…or declare his undying love and devotion.

Tavus looked up at her entry. "Ah, Wolf – good to see you again. Superb work on that ambush situation. – adaptability like that is what Havoc Squad is all about."

"Thank you, sir – we may have saved lives, but we're still no closer to finding the bomb then we were before."

"Not _we_, Wolf. You. _You_ saved lives today," Tavus corrected her. "As for the bomb, we're getting there. LT Jorgan has gotten quite a bit of Bellis' files decoded. We should have answers by morning. Havoc will be convening at the mess in an hour, feel free to unwind with your unit, Wolf."

She hurried out to make sure her speeder was paid up for another day and then found the barracks room she'd been assigned to for her stay. The sharp sting of the hot, pelting water felt good against her body. Despite her job, she never forgot she was a woman underneath the armor and she enjoyed pampering her body whenever she got the chance.

She spent a couple hours in the mess with her squad getting to know them. It felt forced more than anything else, at least with three of her squad mates. Eventually, she, Fuse and Gearbox left to watch vids and drink. They drank her under the sofa and when she woke up in the morning, her head was on Fuse's lap, his hand on her hair, and her legs stretched out over Gearbox's lap. It would have been deeply embarrassing, except the discomfort of her belly didn't let her focus on anything else. Gearbox made them a hangover remedy called _The Fix_, which she would be forever grateful for. The idea of showing up at Command looking like she'd just been spit out of a bantha's mouth in front of Jorgan or the Commander did not sound even remotely fun.

Tavus sported a small, tight grin when she walked into Command. "Hope you're not feeling last night's activities, Wolf. I've got good news. Jorgan has finished decoding the last of Bellis' intel. It's given us a real breakthrough."

That _was_ good news. She wondered if Jorgan stayed up all night decoding the intel…maybe even pissed she enjoyed the evening with her unit? She supposed she'd be finding out real soon. "So, the informant knew where the bomb was located?"

He inclined his head. "He did, Wolf."

Jorgan folded his arms over his chest. "Bellis discovered that the seps have the ZR-57 securely inside their supply outpost on Mannett Point, a small island just off the coast."

"I sent Wraith ahead to reconnoiter the outpost, and she successfully located a secure area where we believe the bomb is stored," Tavus informed her. "Judging by the dramatic increase in the number of guards and the complex security systems installed, we're certain the bomb is there."

Jorgun rubbed a finger against his chin and frowned. Tavus should be taking things more seriously than he did. "Honestly. With security like this, Mannett Point looks more like an Imperial military base than a sep hideout to me. I think the seps are getting a helping hand, Commander."

Tavus grunted. "From the imperials? That seems unlikely. Surely our spies would have discovered any Imperial involvement on Ord Mantell long before now."

As much as it irked her to agree with a man that hated her, Jorgan was right. "I think the LT has called it. The seps do seem to be unusually well equipped, Commander."

Tavus raked a hand through his short crop of black hair. He needed her distracted. "We can discuss the possibility of any Imperial involvement later. Let's focus on the mission at hand. Wraith can't breech the secured area of the Mannett Point outpost alone, so I'm sending you in immediately. The bridge is out of commission, so you'll have to make an amphibious approach to that island. When you arrive, effect entry into the supply out post and rendezvous with Wraith inside. She'll give you further instructions at that time. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." She turned to look at Jorgan. "There's an LT by the name of Virk running a bribery scheme with the men under his command."

"Virk? I know the guy. He's a pretty pathetic officer, but nobody's ever made any official complaints – none that I've heard about, anyway."

"You are correct – any soldiers that complains comes home in a box, LT."

Tavus' lips twitched. Just what he needed to keep Jorgan distracted. "Lieutenant Jorgan and I will look into this. You should get moving. Dismissed."

She found Wraith at the coordinates she was given.

Wraith looked up from the command terminal and her lips tightened when she saw Wolf. She didn't hate the sergeant, but she didn't like her either. She wore the name Havoc, but she hadn't been through the hell they'd been through. She could never truly be one of them. "Wolf. No time to waste. The bomb is behind a force field. I'm sending you the coordinates. I'll disable the shield from here, you pass through and destroy its generator. When it's down, I'll rejoin you."

"Understood, sir."

"Then go," she stated coldly.

She'd hoped last night would have helped ease her into the squad but she suspected Fuse and Gearbox were still the only two of her squad that liked her. She hopped her speeder and headed to the coordinates.

She was surprised to find bodies littering the floor of the separatist base. Someone had been here before her and was sowing a bit of revenge by the looks of it. She found three injured seps in a medical room she'd had to pass through on the way to her objective. She didn't have it in her to kill unarmed, injured men. They swore they didn't care what she was up to and she chose to accept their words. There was little choice to be made when the only other option was killing them. She'd allowed them to leave with a clean conscience. Hopefully, she would not come to regret that decision.

Whomever had thinned out the other side of the base had not come this way. Now it was time for her to take out the trash. Once she'd disabled the shield's generator, she double timed it to where she was to meet up with the wicked Wraith at the bomb's location. Nothing, however, was at that location but a surly sep, whose belligerence ended quick with only the slightest show of force. He told them what he knew about the bomb, including the sep cell leaders that were at the base. She had her new orders. Neutralize the sep leaders and confiscate their intel. At least it got her away from Wraith's charming self.

As luck would have it all three cell leaders were holed up in one room, apparently having a meeting. That certainly made her job easier. She grinned as she stepped into the room. "Sorry to break up your meeting, but Havoc Squad sends its regards." She opened fire, then downloaded the data. Time for a strategic retreat.

Back at Command she was surprised to see Needles with Jorgan. Not that the man tried to avoid her, he didn't. Unlike Wraith and Tavus he didn't even bother to act like he liked or disliked her. She was just there as far as he seemed concerned. But something about him was highly creepy. Maybe it was because whatever he'd been through made him look like a sith that had abused the force for years on end. But just as likely it was because he had sociopathic tendencies. Some of the things he said and how he said them were…disturbing.

A slow grin spread over Needle's lips. "Wolf, you've returned. Masterful work, eliminating the sep officers. The beast has been beheaded."

Jorgan stepped in. "Yes, well… I'll get the officers' data out to the rest of Havoc right away. As for you, Lieutenant Dorant here has a special op already planned out."

"Indeed," Needles replied. "Earlier today. A man named Zak came to the fort from Oradam Village seeking medical attention. He was suffering from acute radiation poisoning, causing catastrophic organ failures. His body was practically tearing itself apart from within – quite magnificent to observe."

She ignored how pleased he sounded. "Is it normal for villagers to get radiation poisoning, sir?"

"Not at all," Needles answered.

"Fuse told us that the ZR-57 can leak significant amounts of radiation if handled improperly," Jorgan informed her.

"Yes," Needles agreed. "Zak must have been near the bomb, knowingly or otherwise. I want the details, even if you have to pry them from the dying husk of a mind. However, there is a cure available. Were you to gather the ingredients. I think you would find the offer of a cure very useful in gaining his cooperation. Far better than the current meds he's on that can only promise a lifetime of excruciating pain. Not as fun, perhaps, but there you have it."

Jorgan frowned. "Command knows exactly where the scavengers are – we just haven't had the resources to deal with them. Here are the coordinates and a list of ingredients to retrieve. Any questions?"

She gritted her teeth to keep her mouth from hanging open in surprise. So, the man could talk to her without growling. Would wonders never cease.

"Nothing fancy on this one," he told her with a swipe of his hand. "Just get the ingredients, get the intel from Zak and then get back. Dismissed."

Ah…couldn't send her out without one growl. But…maybe he was starting to believe she was of some merit after all. Though, oddly, she didn't see him treating the lower ranking soldiers around the base with the same disregard as her. Maybe she was just special. Wynter...the special snowflake. How ironically apropos. She grinned as she turned and left the room.

The ingredients she found by pilfering the corpses of dead seps. It wasn't glamorous. In fact, it was downright insulting. But at least she had what she needed to offer Zak a cure for the intel.

An old man's pleas turned her head near a home in Oradam Village. He was hunched over, his hand over his belly. According to his wails, he hadn't eaten for days. She handed him the ration's bar she had on her as well as a handful of credits. It wasn't much, but hopefully, it would give him strength enough to support himself. She looked up in time to see a vibrantly red-haired woman wink at her as she ran by and ducked into a nearby house. The woman was dressed far too finely for someone who lived in the village, nor did she look like a typical fighter, despite the blasters at her hip. She briefly wondered what her story was, but pushed the errant thought away. Once inside Zak's quarters she followed the moaning upstairs.

Zak rose on unsteady feet when the woman entered the room. "You - you're a soldier, right? From the fort? Please, help us. We're really sick – my wife is dying."

"Yes…you both are. We believe you've been poisoned by radiation from a stolen Republic bomb," she explained.

Zak took a step back, his eyes rounding in surprise. "What? You mean…Jaller, do you know anything about this?"

No..no…her husband had to close his mouth. "Quiet, Zak. We don't know anything about…" pain engulfed her and gasped, " …anything."

His wife was dying because of the movement? "You are dying because of them? Where is your precious movement now? They don't give a damn that we are dying!"

"I'll never betray the movement, Zak!" She gripped her belly and sucked in a ragged breath.

"You're my wife! I love you!"

"If you love me, Zak, you won't betray everything I stand for. Please let me go."

She wasn't going to stand by and let these people die, regardless of the side they were on. "Here," she handed them the syringe. "Use this injector – half for each of you. It will cure the poisoning." Jorgan's going to strangle her now. But at least now he actually has a reason to be pissed.

Again, Zak was stunned, but this time by the honor and generous heart of the soldier in front of him. "R-really? Thank you! Thank you so much!" He settled on the bed next to his wife. "Shhh….I'm not going to lose you, Jaller." He whispered words of love as he injected half the contents into her vein. With a nod, he injected himself with the other half. He looked up at the white cathar. "I owe you everything. I don't mind dying, but I couldn't bear to watch my wife die. I hope you find that kind of love someday…if you haven't already. Now…about your bomb. Jaller and I helped move this very large crate. We got sick right afterward – it's probably what you're looking for. We dropped the crate off at the stronghold – the separatists' main base."

"Thank you, Zak. You and Jaller have a second chance – make the most of it."

Zak inclined his head. "We will. I can promise that."

Her holo started chiming, but she wasn''t going to answer until she was in a more private location. At the bottom of the stairs, three seps greeted her with raised guns. She jumped over the railing, landed on a table, jumped down, flipped it over and made her stand. When the last sep fell, she righted the table, which was a little worse for the wear and dragged the bodies outside before she answered her holo.

Jorgan wasn't sure how he felt about the risk she took, but she achieved the objective. "I copied everything – sounds like we're going to hit the seps where they live. Good work."

She could not prevent a smile from forming on her lips. It was the first time he'd ever praised her. She wondered if it hurt him to do so. "I see you've finally noticed how charming I am," she teased.

He bit back a smile. "Yeah, I guess you missed your calling. Just hang on before you file for that transfer – we still got work to do."

"Lieutenant Jorgan, you have a lovely dry sense of humor – you should let it out to play more often. It makes you a far more agreeable man," she teased. She shouldn't have. She knew that, but she just couldn't stop herself.

Blasted woman could tie him up in knots inside. "Can that nonsense, Sergeant," he growled, though his heart wasn't in it this time and he could tell by the look in her eyes that she knew it too. "Infiltrating that mountain stronghold isn't going to be easy. I've put out the call. Havoc is assembling immediately, so get back here on the double."

"My feet will sprout wings, sir." Now that she knew the truth about the man, she intended to push as hard as she dared to force him out of his stick-up-the-ass shell.

"Jorgan out." He'd nearly said something about collecting the feathers, but that would have been grossly out of line. Deep down he knew she was going to be even harder to deal with from now on.

She was confronted by a zabrak the moment she walked into Command.

"Whoa, whoa, not so fast, Sergeant – you and me need to have a little talk. I'm Lieutenant Virk. I think maybe you've heard of me? See, my boys here saw you having a chat with little Private Farn. I know Farn told you about my business and you went and blabbed about it to some very important people. Now, I got a mountain of paperwork to do, hearings to go to, people asking questions – and I don't like it."

She laughed softly and caught sight of Jorgan out of the corner of her eye. Oh well, in for a penny in for a pound. She was not going to let this puffed up ass-weasel continue to extort kids. "If you can't handle the stress, do us all a favor and swallow a grenade. We don't need officers like you giving us all a bad name."

"If anybody's gonna end up dead around here, it isn't gonna be me," he retorted, pointing his finger at her. "Wise up. This island is my little kingdom – I can make sure people live and I can make sure they die. So, you better believe that I'm going to make extra sure you come home from your next assignment in a box, _Sergeant_."

Oh-ho…someone is full of themselves. "I'm touched. Truly I am. But the King has been overthrown and you've just signed your own court martial, _Lieutenant_." She motioned in the direction of a locked and loaded Jorgan and five armed technicians that just stepped out of the meeting room and two more stepped from the generator room on the opposite side of Virk.

"Weapons down!" Jorgan ordered, his eyes not leaving Virk.

She could see it in his eyes…he wasn't going down without a fight. His two friends threw their weapons and dropped to their knees. "Watch it!" she yelled, but bullets were already flying. Virk shot his two accomplices and one tech before he went down. One of his accomplices might live, but it was far too late for the other two. She watched as Jorgan motioned to have the bodies removed and the other two remanded into custody. She then followed him into the meeting chamber.

"It would seem Farn's intel was correct. I will see that he is rewarded for his part in Virk's take down," Jorgan told her.

She looked around the room, but her squad members were not there. "Has the rest of Havoc not arrived yet, sir?"

Jorgan rubbed the back of his neck. "Have a seat, Sergeant. Havoc Squad is infiltrating the separatists' stronghold to retrieve the ZR-57 as we speak. Commander Tavus was very clear: Under no circumstances can I send you in to join Havoc on this mission. I have to admit I'm a little surprised. I honestly thought you were starting to come along, but I guess Tavus still isn't convinced you're ready for the heavy ops."

"Something is wrong with this, LT. Gearbox knows I'm the best tracker in the unit. They know I can find that bomb faster than any of them – It's why Gearbox named me -" Heat flooded into her cheeks.

"Wolf?" Jorgan asked with a grunt. "I'm not about to call you by that ridiculous name, Sergeant – it's an insult to our people."

"I thought so too, at first, but they don't see it that way. No disrespect was meant by the name."

"Really?" he scoffed. "Then why aren't you with them?"

"Maybe because not all of them see me as a part of Havoc Squad – the old paradigm. Maybe they want to ensure this is their victory and not mine. Maybe something more is going on than we understand. You and I both know I'm more than capable of this op."

She was right with that. He had no qualms about her abilities as a soldier. She'd proven herself in that regard. "Maybe next time -"

"Sir!" a technician yelled in alarm. "We've got a situation here."

"Talk to me, ensign."

"We've lost contact with Havoc Squad, sir! Comms, video, locators, everything. It's like they've disappeared completely."

Damn it! "That's unacceptable, soldier," he growled, "you get back to that terminal and you get me Havoc's status, now!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Unless we still have that leak, Zak and Jaller are the only ones who knew where we were going," she pointed out. "I don't know about Jaller, but Zak would never betray my trust."

He held up a hand to comfort her, but let it drop to his side. If it was due to the couple she let live, then he could understand the guilt she might feel. "There's no way to tell from here. Whatever happened to Havoc – it was bad."

"Still no sign of Havoc, sir. I think we may have lost them," the ensign admitted.

"Damn it! This mission will not fail on my watch! We are not going to let that bomb get away again! Sergeant – you are the only remaining member of Havoc Squad and I'm sending you to infiltrate the that stronghold. The ZR-57 must not remain in separatist hands. Is that clear?"

"Crystal."

There was a brief shake of his head. "We were hoping to get the bomb back intact, but we're way south of a best-case scenario here. So, here's the new MO: You will need to use the deactivation code for the bomb. Disarm the bomb and leave the seps with nothing but a big, radioactive paperweight."

The ensign removed the spike from his terminal. "You will need to hijack the sep comm system to broadcast the code. This data spike should do the trick," he said, handing it to her.

She was good, Jorgan did not doubt that. But this was a lot to lay at the feet of a single person, Havoc or not. "I never thought it'd come to this, Sergeant. I don't need to tell you what happens if you don't pull this off."

"No, sir, you don't. Too many people will die, myself included. I have every motivation to succeed in this mission," she admitted.

He hadn't even stopped to think that she would die. "I'm not about to lose the bomb and the last of Havoc on my watch. You are not allowed to die and that's an order!"

"Yes, sir!" she replied, her lips twitching in a barely concealed grin.

"Just play it safe out there. We have zero room for errors on this one. Everyone is counting on you. Good luck, Sergeant."

She was fighting her way through seps outside the base when a familiar head of red hair jumped in next to her and helped her take down a rather large group. When the last one fell, Wynter snapped the cannon to the magpanels in the back of her armor. "So, we meet again. Who are you?"

Vista grinned. "Name's Vista Solo. That's my…partner Corso Riggs. It appears we've got similar goals. If we work together maybe we'll achieve both of them faster."

She wasn't sure Lt. Jorgan would appreciate someone else knowing their business, but something in Vista's eyes assured her the human didn't give a damn and she doubted she'd ever see the woman again. "Sergeant Wynter L'Vae, Republic Commando. Havoc Squad. Assault Specialist. I'm trying to find a bomb – what's your MO?"

Vista glanced at Corso and then realization dawned on her. MO…mission objective. "Ah…A thief by the name of Skavak stole my ship and its cargo. It's been reported that he's here to sell my cargo and I intend to get them back."

"And my blaster," Corso amended.

She winked at Wynter and tried not to laugh. "Torchy has sentimental value to Corso."

"I see," Wynter said, keeping her best straight face. "Let's bring the base down and cover both our objectives. Move out." She saw Vista just blink and flushed. "Sorry."

Vista laughed. "I knew what you meant. I'm just not used to the military drill sergeant tone. I'm better motivated by honey."

"I'll be sure to remember that, ma'am."

"And don't ma'am me – I'm not your mom."

Wynter chuckled. "It's been awhile since I've been with civvies. My small talk might be a bit rusty."

"We'll work on that," Vista teased. "Get a move on it, soldier," she said with a wink and followed the trooper into the base.

Corso looked around after the first wave of seps were taken down. "Look at the size of this place. How'd the seps get the money to build something like this?"

"More likely it was discovered and confiscated," Wynter told him "Even if the imps supported the separatists, they wouldn't sink this many credits into Ord Mantell."

They took a lift up and fought their way deep into the base. As soon as the area was clear of seps, Wynter's holo chimed.

"Sergeant – do not take those civilians any further. I repeat – do not take those civilians with you."

Wynter growled softly. "Lt. Jorgan, with all due respect, they have been instrumental in infiltrating the base. The sooner I reach the MO -"

"That is a direct order, Sergeant," Aric growled. He knew damned well 'with all due respect' meant kiss my ass. He'd said it enough times himself.

"Roger that." She disconnected the call. "If I finish my objective – I will see if you still need assistance with yours."

Vista pulled out her communicator and sent her frequency to Wynter. "Call if you ever need a helping hand. If I'm nearby, you'll have it."

"That is generous. Far more than I would have expected," Wynter admitted. "I'm not often surprised." She pulled the cannon from her back.

"Oh, I'm full of surprises – and I'm not exactly what you think," she teased. "Paddy's luck to you."

Paddy? Who was paddy? She supposed it didn't matter. She did need luck, regardless who supplied it. "Stay safe, you two," she responded as they hurried off.

She located the door that led to the computer she needed to spike. But instead of seps, she found Imps. Lots of Imps. This was an Imperial base. When the room was cleared of hostiles, she inserted the spike into the terminal. Her holo chimed. Jorgan did like to keep tight reign on her. She flipped on her holo.

"You did it, soldier! That was some top-notch soldiering - we're all proud of you."

"Do you mind if I take a moment to let that sink in? It is surreal that you are not fileting me alive," she teased. She was stunned when he let himself smile.

"Give me a moment and I might filet you again." He knew he shouldn't, but he enjoyed taunting her and riling her and even teasing her – it made him feel alive inside. She angered him, aroused him and made him laugh – for too long he'd felt emotionally dead. He hoped he didn't lose that when she left.

"Aww…you have a way of warming a girl's heart, LT. Unlike these Imps. This base is overrun by Imperials."

"Copy that, we saw them through your armor-cam. Unbelievable. We need to know how deep this connection goes. I want you to continue further into the base. Finding the rest of Havoc Squad is now priority number one. If possible, also retrieve the ZR-57. It costs about forty million credits, so Command would like it back. But your squad-mates are the primary objective."

"If you hear anything else – please contact me."

"You got it, Sergeant. Jorgan out."

The base was pretty linear with few side rooms, but she explored every nook and cranny, taking out any Imps or seps that tried to stop her.

She thought she saw a flash of red, but when she turned it was gone. With a shake of her head, she turned down the next corridor. She took out everyone that stood in her way until she ended up in a hangar bay…where her squad mates were waiting. "You're safe!"

Tavus frowned, a slow breath slipping from his lips. "I thought my orders were very clear. You aren't supposed to be here, Wolf."

"And I would not be, except Command feared you were dead and sent me in to find you and make sure the bomb did not disappear again."

Wraith stepped in behind Wolf, her shotgun poised. "I will take her."

"No, Wraith. Wolf deserves to know the truth. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. I harbor no ill will toward you. Except you made Gearbox and Fuse question our decision. He motioned to Fuse laying out cold on the ground. Fuse turned on us. But he'll come around again. Now you, Wolf, are a warrior. Everything Havoc should be. But I'm afraid the Republic no longer values her warriors – even the very best among them."

Of all the things she thought might have happened to her squad, she'd never imagined they were traitors. "Tavus, you know what the Empire is like! They are controlled by power mad Sith who torture and kill to get their way. They enslave and abuse. You can't believe it is better over there!"

Tavus squared his shoulders. "The Empire respects warriors, Wolf. The Republic's top officials, on the other hand, have decided to cast us aside. The truth is that no matter what they may say, the Republic Senate doesn't actually believe it can win another war against the Empire. That makes you and I a threat. Every Havoc Squad victory fires up people's imaginations, fills them with pride – which means the bureaucrats can't afford to let us keep succeeding."

"Even if that were true, does that mean we should just lay down and let tyranny win? That we should stop fighting for freedom and democracy and just let it die? I would rather die fighting for freedom than become a slave of tyranny. Please…Gearbox…listen to me. It doesn't have to end this way. You know I'm right. You know there's another way. There's always another way! This will destroy your soul." She held out her hand towards him. "Give me the chance to help you find peace or to help you find a reason to go on fighting."

Her words were too little too late to Tavus. "If only you'd been with us longer, Wolf. You'd understand. You might have even come with us. The Republic abandoned us. During a mission on Ando Prime, they simple left us to die. But I won't try to persuade you. Honestly, I hope you die with your ideals intact. The rest of us will never have that luxury." He turned when Gearbox held his hand out.

Wraith slammed the butt of her shotgun against the side of his Gearbox's head. His eyes rolled up and he dropped heavily to the ground.

"Get them into the shuttle," Tavus motioned to the two downed members of Havoc Squad.

"You're a real charmer," Vista responded as she stepped out from behind the metal girder that had hidden their presence.

"Who the hell are you?" Tavus demanded. This was getting out of hand.

"Vista Solo – spoiler of rotten plans and yours stinks like week old sani-liners. That's my partner, Corso Riggs and -"

Annalyn stepped forward. "Annalyn Starr – thorn in the Empire's backside more years than you've been alive."

He clenched his jaw. "I don't really give a damn _who_ you are – except you have no business being here."

"That's where you're wrong. You see, I made a promise to Wynter and I'm a woman of my word – my honor's intact…too bad you lost yours," Vista taunted.

If Jorgan had an issue with this he could suck it up. She'd not invited the trio to this party, but she appreciated them coming regardless. "It's not too late, Tavus. Please turn back."

"Turn back to what? The Republic that wants me dead and gone? No, Wolf, I think not."

Wreath's smile was more of a sneer. "Thank you for finding the ZR-57 for us. We were worried the seps would waste our big present for the Empire."

"But thanks to your efforts," Needles replied with a small bow, "we can now present the Empire with this magnificent tool of destruction."

"I honestly wouldn't do that if I were you. As presents go – that one will prove disappointing," she warned.

"You could not be more wrong. Time we were off. Colonel Vorr? Please give Wolf the warrior's death she deserves – you can do what you want with the others." His gaze returned to her unsettling, large blue eyes. "I'm sorry it had to come to this. It's been an honor serving with you, Wolf. Goodbye."

The ramp rose as he disappeared into the shuttle. She got one round off, before the door closed, but then she had to devote her attention to the Imps determined to take their lives. Eventually, she and her three _friends_ were the only ones left standing. She noticed Corso was clutching his arm, red seeping between his fingers.

"It's only a flesh wound," he said when he noticed that every female's eyes were locked onto his arm.

"Which you received helping me out." Wynter removed the small medkit from her belt. "Annalyn, stand watch. Vista, help him out of his coat and shirt." When his arm was bared, she ran an antiseptic pad over the wound, followed by a dab of kolto and wrapped it in a clean sani-wrap. "You're good to go for now." She put the kit away and looked all three of them over. "I want to thank you. I know I told you not to come, but I'm glad you did. I'm not sure if I would have survived if I'd been on my own – there were too many. You three have earned a friend in me today. If you ever need me, call on me. Until then, did you need assistance with your objective?"

"Nah, my ship wasn't there. Annalyn's gonna take us to Coruscant where we will continue our search for Skavak. I hope we meet again, Wynter. We work well together."

"That we do."

Once they cleared the base, they went their separate ways after a round of handshakes. Wynter hopped her speeder and returned to base. Jorgan was pacing and obviously irritated.

"General, with all due respect, how can you do this? I've served with your Infantry Command for years."

General Vander raised his hand. "That's enough, Jorgan. This wasn't my choice. But a defection of this scale – someone has to swing, and the powers that be say it's you."

That was not what she expected to hear when she walked through the door. "I don't understand. The defection wasn't his fault. They kept their plans tight – there was no way any of us could know."

"It doesn't matter. Command can't punish them – so they're burning me instead," he growled.

The general ignored Jorgan's outburst. "You must be our last loyal Havoc member. I'm General Vander, Republic chief of operations for Ord Mantell. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, General. But if you saw the vid then you know I'm not the last loyal Havoc Squad member. Fuse refused to defect and he was incapacitated and kidnapped. I also think I reached Gearbox – I think he changed his mind, but they knocked him out and forced him to go with them too."

"We saw the lengths you went to trying to save Havoc Squad. But regardless whether they left willingly or not, they all originally collaborated to defect - you are the only one left in Republic Space. And on behalf of the Republic and the people of Ord Mantell, I want to thank and congratulate you for your courageous actions in disabling the stolen ZR-57. Your heroic efforts saved countless innocent lives. In recognition of your valiant service, I hereby promote you to the rank of lieutenant. Congratulations."

Her back stiffened in shock. "I'm honored. Thank you, General."

"Now, Lieutenant, as the last remaining member of Havoc, the duty of rebuilding the squad falls to you. Havoc is your command. To get the process started, I've decided to assign Sergeant Jorgan here as Havoc's first new member."

Regardless of the ass he'd been to her, she didn't feel right about his demotion. "I don't feel right about what happened, but I'd be honored to have you on Havoc Squad, Jorgan."

"I'll take the Havoc patch and sergeant stripes if it means I get to grind them into Tavus' face before we kill him."

The general frowned. "This is the best I can do for you, Jorgan. You're a good man, and we need good people now more than ever. I don't know what Tavus is planning, but he knows the inner workings of our military better than anyone. The destruction that he could do is limitless. In any case, your work here is done. In the morning you'll be going to Coruscant for your next assignment. When you arrive, report immediately to the head of spec-force division, General Garza. She'll be issuing your orders from now on. You have tonight to get yourselves squared away – you'll be leaving in the AM aboard the shuttle in the landing bay.

Lieutenant, Sergeant, you're dismissed. I hope I see you again someday."

After the general left, she turned her attention to Jorgan. "We need to talk. I'm going to shower and slip into civvies so I don't abuse either of our noses. Can you meet me in thirty?"

He wasn't sure he was ready to clear the air, but maybe they did need to talk. "If I must, sir. Where?"

A soft breath slipped from her lips. No matter his rank, he was going to make things difficult for her. What did she ever do to him? Kick his puppy? "Where do you usually spend your down time?"

"Alone, sir."

This was getting no where fast. "Look, I've been here a few days – you've been here much longer. Where can we go with a modicum of privacy? I don't want to measure every word, do you?"

Fine then. They were going to do this. "Fine. Meet me at mess hall in thirty. Grab something to go and we'll take speeders. Civvies are fine, though you might want to bring a blaster just in case."

"Roger that and…thank you."

Clean and comfortable, she hurried over to the mess hall only to find him outside sitting on one of the speeders he'd requisitioned. "I'll be right out."

He watched her walk into the mess hall. He'd never seen her in civvies before. They way they clung to her should be a crime. The clothes were simple, but of fine quality. The shirt snapped up the front, several top buttons left unsnapped to display more cleavage than her armor implied she even had. Her pants defined her curves without being too loose or a coat of paint. Her boots came up mid-calf and looked more fashionable than serviceable. Bu t what did he know about women's shoes?

By the time she returned with her meal, he had the second speeder's seat lifted. She settled her dinner inside, slipped on the helmet and straddled the speeder.

"Keep up…if you can, sir."

"You won't be able to lose me that easily, Jorgan." She heard a chuckle filter back to her as he took off first.

It wasn't long before the haze and sounds of war were left behind. The scent of charred earth still reached her nostrils but so did the smell of salt water. She pulled up next to his speeder on a wide, ledge that overlooked the ocean.

"I hadn't realized there were any places left on Ord Mantell that still looked like this," she said in quiet awe.

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared out over the waves below. "Honestly, I'm not sure there are. This is the only one I've found. I come out here once in awhile to find a moment of peace." Maybe he shouldn't have brought her here. He thought he could handle it – but seeing her here in his sanctuary complicated things dramatically. "We should go."

She walked out to the edge of the outcrop and raised her head and arms to the heat of the sun. "Not going to happen. I want to enjoy the beauty of this place for one night. I don't know when I'll have the chance to do something like this again."

He wanted to walk up behind her and slip his arms around her waist. He wanted to feel her against him as they watched the sun slip down over the waves. But that was something he could never do. When she turned around to face him, the sun caused her tousled, blonde hair to come to life with an amber glow. He straightened and forced his thoughts to something that would take his mind off where it had been going. "So, Havoc Squad. Best of the best. Can't say I'm thrilled about the demotion, but it's an honor to be here, sir."

"I realize the circumstances weren't ideal, but regardless of the past, I'm glad you're with me, Jorgan."

"A spot in Havoc was the least they could do. Four years at the academy. Seven years in the field, decorations, commendations…Would have made captain soon if Command hadn't hung me out to dry."

"Despite our differences, what they did to you wasn't right. We both know Tavus' defection wasn't your fault."

"Tell that to the brass when they need a scapegoat," he snarled.

"I did, Jorgan – if you recall."

"I'm sorry, sir. I was out of line. What happened to me wasn't your fault."

"No, it wasn't," she agreed.

They laid out the blanket and food and settle down to eat. After she'd eaten her fill, she looked out at the horizon and smiled at the sight of the sun setting over the waves, its amber light igniting the water in color. "You could forget there's a war going on in places like this."

"I often did -at least for brief moments," he replied quietly.

She looked over at him, enjoying this new, softer side of him. She wished he didn't keep this Aric locked away. He was as enjoyable as the dry-humor Aric. "What did I do that infuriated you so much? You bit off my head the moment you saw me – and you must have enjoyed the taste so much that you had to keep coming back for more. Never enough Wynter on the tongue, Jorgan?"

A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Her words could certainly be taken another way. "I enjoyed catching snowflakes on my tongue as a child – maybe that hasn't changed."

She was well aware he'd purposely misunderstood her. "Just don't lick a lamppost in the winter."

"I'll try to keep that in mind, sir. But now that I'm a man, I prefer a warm Wynter to a cold one."

"You know, sometimes I wonder if this conversation is about a season or me. Will you tell me what I did that turned you against me?"

He couldn't tell her the things she made him feel. It wasn't right when he was her superior officer and it wasn't right now. "I'm not against you. I've never been against you." And there in lay the problem. He wanted to be against her.

Anger blazed in her eyes. "Don't lie to me, Jorgan! From the moment we met you've growled at me. You threw yourself in my face and tried to make me feel like I wasn't worthy. You snarled every time you spoke to me and even flashed your fangs at me like you wanted to bury them in my throat. So, don't sit there and tell me you were never against me!"

His hands curled into fists, his nails biting into his palms. The infuriating…impossible…maddening… misguided woman! "If you'd paid attention, you'd have known that I've never once been against you!" he snarled, his lip curling up to expose his fangs.

She sprang over the remainders of their meal, with an agile twist of her body, and slammed into his chest, toppling him to the ground. Her thighs fell to either side of his waist and before she could stop herself, she lunged downward, her fangs denting the skin on his throat. She felt the sting of his nails as they shot out and dug into her hips, but other than that neither one of them moved. She could feel the hard racing of his heart against hers, the beat of his rapid pulse against her lips. The familiar scent of his arousal. Arousal? Oh hell, he was right. She'd been blind. He'd been hard on her because he wanted her and knew he shouldn't. Her tongue slipped out to tease the fine, tight hairs covering his artery.

With a growl of need he flipped them over and settled between her thighs. Right or wrong, he couldn't stop what was happening. Whatever this was between them had been volatile since they'd first met. He wasn't sure if they would be able to work together if they didn't get it out of their systems. He ground his aching arousal against the warm apex of her thighs. When she released his throat, their mouths met in hungry growls.

Their clothing was mostly shredded and forgotten in but a few harsh breaths. She wrapped her muscled, strong legs around him and he drove into her with a guttural growl. This was no gentle, romantic embrace, but a feral passion brought on by the denial of the fierce attraction between them and the heat pheromones she'd just started releasing. Heats were not usually an issue, even among their kind. It might loosen inhibitions a little, but it was still about choice. Nor did thoughts of pregnancy cross her mind. She'd had a subdermal implant that prevented ovulation and reduce the frequency of her heats.

She propelled herself down on each hard thrust, instinctually needing him to reach the entrance of her womb. Her hands scrabbled over every inch of him that she could reach, enjoying the play of his muscles under a silky coat of hair.

He released her mouth and looked down into her turbulent sky-blue eyes, her pupils had gone from overly wide to narrow slits – from excitement to arousal. Between the pleasure he found in her body and the passion in her eyes he felt like he was drowning and didn't want to come up for air. He arched his back and lowered his head to take the tight pebble of her breast into the heat of his mouth. Her soft mewls and growls fueled an instinct to pleasure her. An instinct, until now, that had been buried in a burning need.

He slipped from her tight heat with a hiss to trail hot kisses down her body. Her intoxicating scent and pheromones clouded everything but the need to know the taste of this woman and give her pleasure. This wasn't an act he'd ever done before. His few experiences with women were brief encounters. One and done. He was too focused on his career – on his duty. But the only duty in his thoughts right now were to her and he didn't question it.

He'd heard his squad mates talking. They liked to brag about their conquests, but he'd listened and knew what to do – even if the thought had never appealed to him before now. His tongue slid through her soft, trim folds and he gripped her hips tightly so he could savor the taste of her essence. He lapped at the honey in her well as deeply as he could reach. Her salty-sweet nectar coated his tongue and still he wanted more. His tongue slid up to the swollen nub and he let her body language and cries tell him what she liked best.

Her strong hands held him captive between her legs and she yelled his name as a powerful orgasm tore through her. He liked the sound of 'Aric' of her lips. It had been a long time since he'd heard anyone call him by his first name. He dipped his head lower to collect the bounty of his labors before rising above her once more and plunging in to her hot, tight, core with a hiss of pleasure. His mouth found hers as his hips drove into her propelling them towards an ending he could not even imagine.

Never had she imagined the pleasure he would be able to give her. Her body was a molten livewire, sensitive to the slightest touch. Even the whisper of his silky hairs brushing against her own sent spirals of heat throughout her body. Her body writhed and ground against his, greedy in its need for more. She was barely aware when he dipped down, his fangs piercing the soft flesh between her neck and shoulder. She stiffened and the world stood still for a brief moment before she felt a pleasure-pain deep inside her and shattered into a million pieces of extasy. In a haze of pleasure, she bit into his shoulder until the slightly metallic taste of blood caused her to pull back. It took her another moment to realize her nails were buried in his back.

He dropped his forehead to hers, his body thrumming with pleasure, his breath harsh with excursion and his back stung from the bite of her nails – but he'd do it all again…and again – if only he could. She hissed in pain when he tried to withdraw and kissed her so that she wouldn't realize what happened. But inside, he was reeling with what it implied. His barbed prongs had never unsheathed before. She was his mate. It would also explain why he'd marked her with his bite, claiming her as his. It hadn't been a conscious decision; his reactions had been instinctual, driven by the urgency of need and the scent of their combined pheromones. Cathar mated for life. While the mating wasn't a formal contract, she was essentially his wife. From the moment his barbed prongs unsheathed there was no going back for them. But she was also his superior officer. That was a can of worms he wasn't sure he wanted to open – not when they had to hunt down the old Havoc Squad.

When he tried to pull out once more, she rolled them over and rode him to another soul searing pleasure. She dropped bonelessly on top of him. Wincing when the movement caused pain deep inside her. She scooted backwards, deepening his impalement of her to ease the pain. She closed her eyes and let out a wavering breath. There were three things she knew. They were mated. They needed to talk. He was going balk. "I can't seem to get enough of you," she murmured to see his reaction.

His body was still alive with pleasure and the need to fill his mate repeatedly, but his words were curt. "It's the heat talking." He knew it was more than that, but he wished it otherwise. This complicated everything.

She placed her hands on his chest and pushed herself up. She leaned over him, her blue eyes boring into his golden-green eyes and then nodded. As soon as she could dismount without pain, she did so. She knelt down onto her knees and began putting the containers from their dinner back into the bag. "If that's all it is, then I'm sure you won't mind if I hit the bar on the way back. I'm feeling uncommonly frisky during this heat."

He watched her lithe movements, saw dewy pink of her core against the white of her coat as she bent over to clean. The sight of her soft flesh sent shockwaves of desire through him. He should be more than sated by now. But her words sparked a fire within him. He knew she wasn't serious, bonded pairs could not stray - but nor could he stop his reaction to the thought of her with another. With a growl he rolled onto his knees and took her from behind. "Not going to happen," he growled into her ear when she lifted herself up onto her knees to lean back against him. One hand rose to her worship her breast, the other trailed down to tease and arouse her swelling bud. His tongue caressed the mark he'd given her, gently removing the dried blood from her short, fine, silky hair. He couldn't get enough of her either. "Your mine." He bit down on her shoulder, careful not to pierce her, instinctually needing to hold her in place as his thrusts became more urgent.

Sated once more, he lay against her back, his arms wrapped around her as they waited for their bodies to calm and his shaft to release her.

When they got around to putting their clothing on, they discovered just how mauled the material was. Aric was able to use his belt to keep his pants up. He'd rendered her clothing much more useless. He tossed the rags into a speeder and tucked the blanket around her. "It's late. I think I can get us in unseen, Lieutenant."

With a growl she dropped the blanket and grabbed his tattered shirt to shake him. "Do you see a chain of command here, Aric? Unless we are with command, do NOT call me lieutenant, sir, ma'am, or L'Vae. Whether you like it or not, you are my mate. Deal. With. It."

His gaze dropped from her fiery eyes to her kiss-swollen lips and air rushed from his lungs. He rubbed his cheek against hers in a moment of weakness. "We cannot alert command to our mating – I cannot risk being removed from Havoc Squad. It is my right to hunt them as much as it is yours…_Wynter_."

He was right, she couldn't risk taking that away from him either. She also knew she'd be distracted with worry if he wasn't nearby. That worry wasn't based on love -they hadn't known each other long enough for love. But he was the only one she'd be able to respond to and now that she knew the pleasure he could give her, she did not want to do without. That meant she couldn't lose him. But she also knew, given time, their relationship could be so much more than physical. Cathar could love, marry and divorce just like any race, but the mate bond was physiological and not based on how much you liked or even loved someone. It could not be forced and was not always wanted, but it only occurred when two cathar were meant for each other. "I know – but after…"

"After the traitors have been neutralized, we will follow regs concerning our…relationship," he assured her. Relationship. He was still reeling over that. So much of his life had changed in such a short amount of time. He picked the blanket back up, wrapped it around her and occupied himself with packing up the speeders before he gave in to her heat and threw her back on the ground. Control is something he'd always prided himself in but he had always had little control around her…his mate…and that explained why.

He had them park their speeders behind a nearby fab-structure and they stayed to the shadows, entering the officer's quarters through the back entrance. He followed her to the room she no longer shared with Wraith and steeled his spine with nothing more than a soft 'goodnight' and returned to his own quarters. His instincts and body screamed to stay. His mate was in heat and his protective drive was ramped. Every step away had been a fight that left him damp with sweat by the time he reached his quarters. If they were going to learn to control their instincts it had to start here. He could not risk being pulled from Havoc Squad. Not yet. Not until every last traitor was neutralized.

Come morning breakfast was a stilted affair. They'd spent the night apart and were unable to say or do anything in the light of day. Her heat had them both on the edge, she could tell by the rigid positioning of his body and the way his eyes cast about the room looking for anyone that might get to close to her. She hoped Private Farn stayed well away, because it was more than obvious it wouldn't take much to set Aric off. She, herself, felt like unfurling her claws, climbing the walls and screeching like a banshee to get what she wanted…her mate inside of her, claiming her roughly as his fangs scraped her skin.

His body trembled when desire was added to the heat signature of her pheromones. "Wynter…" he growled softly in warning – though he knew there was nothing she could do. She was in heat. He rose from the table and grabbed his near empty tray. "I will see meet you at the shuttle." His stride took him swiftly away from his mate as he dropped off his tray and all but ran from the mess. He came to an abrupt halt outside of the mess, crossed his arms over his chest and locked his eyes on his mate. He could not leave her, not while she was in heat. Some instincts were too hard to overcome. It had been easier, barely, last night because she'd been locked away from others in her quarters.

His hackles rose when someone stopped to talk to her. He could feel the bite of his nails in his palm, but held his ground. The sergeant left without touching her, likely the only thing that kept him grounded. He did not like being this out of control, not when he'd spent years to ensure the aggressive tendencies of his species were locked down tight. Males could have trigger tempers and prone to fight, while females were more docile, diplomatic, but cunning. Few cathar females chose to become soldiers or warriors, but he admired that in his mate. It did not stop his need to protect her, but he knew she would always guard his six as he would hers. There was no doubt in his mind that time would prove they could be a team in all ways. The only concern he had was her ability to lead. She'd more than proven herself a capable and reliable soldier, but she'd never held command before. Regardless, he would be there to help her if she needed it. And if she made mistakes along the way – he had little room to fault that. Despite the general wanting him to remain on the sidelines, he should have accompanied her to infiltrate the sep base. He knew it and he'd ordered her to go on alone. If he'd have been there civilians would never have had to follow her and make sure she was safe – they would never have found out about the bomb and defection. Now they had to rely on three criminals to keep their traps shut. Three criminals that were willing to risk their lives to protect his mate when he didn't. That still rankled.

"Let's go," she mumbled as she passed him at the door. She knew why he left and she did not begrudge him that. She also knew why he remained and trusting her had nothing to do with it. He knew she was incapable of offering herself to another male, even if she was in heat. But she also knew he was incapable of being very far from her during her heat, even if there were no other cathar males around to pose a threat. Some instincts could not be overcome by rational thought.

During the shuttle ride she answered his questions about her new friends. She knew he considered them nothing more than lawless criminals, but from what she knew they were not at all what he thought they were. They seemed far more courageous and honorable than most people she met. So, if they _were_ lawless criminals then the galaxy could use a lot more lawless criminals. Regardless, they had proven themselves to her and she would trust them to have her back if they ever found themselves working together again.

The shuttle dropped them off at the small station orbiting Ord Mantell and boarded the Ol' Bucket for the journey to Coruscant. Despite the ships rather unflattering name, it certainly did not live up to its name. While it was a freighter and not a luxury liner, it did have staff and amenities for their passengers. Since they were the only military personnel aboard, they had this time to themselves, which they spent primarily in their cabin. That was all the amenities the newly mated pair needed.

Coruscant

Aric grunted as he disembarked the Ol' Bucket and stepped onto the Coruscant Space Port. "I've been on a backwater planet for so long that I almost forgot what a civilized planet looked like."

She turned knowing eyes to him. Few of their species actually preferred durcrete and steel to grass and trees. "But then – it's not truly civilized at all. It is only a veneer to hide what is below the surface. I had my officer's training here as well – had a few assignments in unsavory districts. I could never be happy in places like this, Nar Shaddaa or Corellia. I need the feel of grass springing beneath my feet, the scent of wildflowers and water in the air. I don't know if I will ever have that again…what I had as a child, but I will always dream of having it," she admitted as she slipped her ID disk into the arrival terminal. The terminal scanned her and approved her entry.

He took her arm and guided her out of camera range, glanced around to make sure no one of importance was watching and drew her into his arms. His lips brushed hers. "I have locked away what I am for so long that I forget what it is to be cathar. We'll have that someday, Wynter – I promise you that." He released her and took a step back. "Now, we should check in with General Garza."

As they entered her office, she wasn't sure if she'd ever want to be a general. Garza, brazenly lied to a senator about knowledge of the defection. She understood the secrecy of classified information, and saying she couldn't talk about something because it was classified was fine, but lying never sat well with her.

Garza cut the call to the senator and slipped her arms behind her back at military rest. "Impeccable timing, Lieutenant. I'm General Garza. It's good to finally meet you in person."

"Thank you, sir. Likewise," she said as she snapped a salute to her superior.

"You have impressed me with the skill and courage you displayed on Ord Mantell. You achieved more than most soldiers would have in the same situation." Her steady gaze rose to meet Jorgan's. "Sergeant Jorgan, I'm pleased to have you with us as well. General Vander holds you in very high regard."

He stiffened his shoulders but gave no other physical sign that her words sliced him. "Thank you, sir. But General Vander has an odd way of showing his _regard_."

Garza knew how the military operated. When things fell apart someone had to take the fall and it was usually not the brass. It was nothing personal. "Vander did the best he could for you, Sergeant. And I'd say a position in the Republic's most decorated Special Forces squad is doing very well indeed." She did not give him time for a rebuttal. "It is regrettable about Tavus and the others. I knew they were upset, but I never imagined they'd defect. Nevertheless, your former squad-mates are now extremely dangerous enemies of the Republic."

She did not like Fuse and Gearbox lumped in with the rest of old Havoc. "Not all of them, sir. Fuse refused to go with them – tried to get them to see reason. They knocked him out just as they did Gearbox. Not all chose to defect and if we reach them, we might get inside intel."

"Possibly. Or maybe they were turned and would feed us false intel. We can't know, Lieutenant. We can't know anything until they are found."

Jorgan nodded. "So let's load up a strike shuttle and hunt them down like the scum they are."

"I would love to give that order, Sergeant, but our intelligence shows that hundreds of other Special Forces soldiers have followed Tavus and defected to the Empire."

It felt like she'd just been dropped from a great height, her stomach riding up to her throat. "Hundreds…" she choked out in a whisper. This was far larger than she could have ever guessed. Havoc was just the tip of the iceberg. "How should we handle this, General?

"We have one asset Tavus hasn't accounted for. You. They believe you are dead and the defection is still a secret."

No, that wasn't right. "Permission to speak freely, sir?" she asked.

Garza's eyes narrowed but she nodded. "Permission granted."

"We cannot depend on that intel. Havoc was well aware of the armor cams. They may have disconnected Havoc's feeds, but once they saw my arrival, they would have known that I likely was not sent out after them without being connected to Jorgan. They would know that we know about their defection. As for my death, that is debatable. While the four of us cleared out the seps and imperials that we found at the base, if any more arrived after we left, they would know I lived because I failed to leave behind a body."

Garza raised her hand. "I can see where you are going, Lieutenant." She fell back into a rest position. "Havoc Squad would often get their supplies from less than savory sources. The Migrant Merchant's Guild and the Black Sun. We need to sever their supply lines. Right now, I want you to focus on the Migrant Merchant's Guild. Intel alerted us that Tavus had ordered a large shipment of war droids. I want you to speak to Corporal Garrum, learn what he knows and proceed from there. Dismissed."

She relaxed back into her seat and let Aric drive the taxi. They located the corporal and he was able to tell them about the inventor named Krel, a cyborg that was triple the human norm for strength and speed. That didn't matter to her. Cathar were also stronger and faster than humans. What did concern her is that his intelligence was considered 'genius'. Genius could walk the edge of madness…which was he? She thanked him for the intel and coordinates.

It seemed the Migrant Merchant's Guild hadn't appreciated their weapons crates being destroyed. It was pretty much a nonstop rain of bolts until they reached the shield that Krel was working behind. She fired her cannon at the console to bring the shield down. She probably could have hacked it, but this was certainly faster…and more fun.

Krel was busy working at a terminal. "Do you think you can come here and destroy my creations without conscience? When you die here today, your feeble Republic will learn what it means to meddle in my work."

"In the name of the Republic, I order you to surrender!" She nearly yawned over the words. She had to say them but they almost never worked.

Krel turned around and laughed. "To you? Don't be naive. I can crush your skull with a single hand," he said as he slowly tightened his fist in a crushing motion.

"Who is being naïve? Apparently, you know little about cathar. Your threatening display is as meaningless as your endless chatter." She heard a slight choking sound coming from Aric and knew he had to bite back his laughter.

No…they couldn't take him down…but if so, they would go down with him. "There is nothing you can do. You are far too late. Soon, the people of this world will be brought to their knees by my latest creations! I have taken ordinary humans off the street and implanted some of them with advanced cybernetic enhancements. Their abilities rival my own. The implants are undetectable. Even they don't know which of them has been augmented. No one will know until my hidden programming activates!"

She expected to hear evil genius laughter punctuate his words. "You forgot the maniacal laughter part," she pointed out.

Jorgan growled softly at her sarcasm. "This guy's full of it. I don't buy any of it."

"He truly is mad. I had wondered if he would be, but he brags far too loudly to be believable. I think we got here before he could do what he wanted to do."

"Destroy them!" Krel bellowed as he released his droids.

She never did get the chance to find out how strong or fast he was, considering all he did was shoot blaster bolts at them. They were armored. He was not. He didn't stand a chance.

Her holo chimed.

"Come in. Lieutenant. I want you to move immediately and destroy the cyborgs that Krel created. We need to deal with them now before they disappear into the population. These things are never easy, but many more lives could be at stake."

"With all due respect, General, you weren't here. You couldn't scent the lies…the madness on him. He didn't implant those people. I'm sure he wanted to. I'm sure he would have – but he didn't."

Garza's back stiffened. She wouldn't have smelled those things even had she been there. "I'm giving you the kill order, Lieutenant. I take full responsibility for the consequences. Now get it done. Garza out."

"This is a waste of our time and their lives," Jorgan growled.

"I'm not murdering them. I know he didn't implant them – he just wants me to kill them to prove how the Republic terrorizes their innocent citizens. I don't kill unarmed civilians. If I thought they were implanted I'd take them to a med-center for a thorough evaluation. Sorry, Garza. Hit me with insubordination – but I'm disobeying that kill-order."

Of course, the door was locked. She was about to move away to a nearby terminal and try to slice it..or just blow it up when she heard one of the speak.

"The door is locked and sealed! You can't get in!" Kalyn warned.

"That won't be a problem, ma'am. I can either slice the control panel or burn it out. Either way, I can get you out of there," she assured the woman.

Kalyn blinked. "What? No! I told you that to keep you out! We heard the fighting. We heard what you were told to do! We aren't coming out until you swear you won't hurt us!"

"I don't kill unarmed civilians and I don't believe he implanted you, but I cannot know for sure. So, I will ask that you give us your names and ID numbers and visit a med-center for a full work up – to ensure your own safety as well as others."

Parr looked at Kalyn and shook his head. "What? So you can track us all down and kill us later? No way!"

Kalyn frowned at him. "Don't be ridiculous. Do you see any food in here, Parr? The soldiers are going to be combing this place in a few minutes. Do you think they would be as willing to disobey an order?"

Parr released a ragged breath. "I did not think it through."

"We'll put our information on datapad for you, soldier," Kalyn told her. "Done. I'm going to open the door. Please don't shoot." The door slid open and she kept her eyes closed for a brief moment. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes and hurried over to the two soldiers and handed the female the datapad. "Here. Thank you for sparing us. Come on," she said to the others, "let's get back to our families. I know they're worried."

"Stay safe out there," Wynter replied. She truly hoped Garza would have too much on her plate to hunt down the civilians. Keeping an eye on them is one thing – murdering them was unacceptable. Her holo chimed. Of course. Time to pay for her disobedience.

"Lieutenant! My orders were perfectly clear: Eliminate Krel's cyborgs."

"With all due respect, General, I could not obey those orders. Those people are not cyborgs. Cybernetics cause a reaction in the surrounding fatty cells, which in turn causes a chain reaction that ends with miniscule enzymes being released in sweat. Cathar have extremely sensitive sense of smell."

"Regardless of what you think you know, my orders are not polite suggestions, Lieutenant. You don't choose to follow them – you follow them. When you are on a mission, you listen to my orders, then your brain, then your heart. In that order. There is no room for sentiment in our line of work or we are doomed to fail."

"With all due respect, sir, I disagree. Compassion and mercy are what separates us from the Sith run Empire. If we lose those, then we become the monsters we despise."

"No, Lieutenant. We are heartless so that the people do not have to be. Always remember that. Return to my office now – we need to discuss your next assignment. Garza out."

She was wrong. Jaded and wrong. But she was also too old to change. This was not a battle Wynter could win. "She's jaded and wrong and I fear…corrupt. Not in the betray the Republic kind of way, but in the lost touch with the people we protect sort of way. Duty is fine, so long as you do not lose your self to it. Duty should be tempered with compassion and mercy or we become the monsters – and she can't see that anymore. I hope I do not become like that," she said with a slight shudder.

It was easy to fall into a rut and see things from only one perspective. "You have given me a lot to think about. Perhaps I was starting to become jaded as well. I guess I needed to see things through fresh eyes." He smiled warmly. "Thank you," he mouthed.

Garza studied the Lieutenant for a moment. There was much of herself she saw in the young cathar. But the Lieutenant would have to learn the hard way that there was no room for idealism in the military. Idealism got you killed. She'd learned that by watching too many of her friend die throughout her climb in rank. "Lieutenant, we are here to discuss the Black Sun. A powerful organization composed of Coruscant's most violent criminals. Tavus is purchasing a powerful nerve agent from them in bulk. A SpecForce sergeant, Jaxo, has carried out some advance reconnaissance of Black Sun's headquarters. You'll rendezvous with her for a detailed plan of attack. We can't risk any of this nerve gas falling into Tavus' hands. Use all necessary force. Dismissed."

She glanced down at the coordinates and nodded as she exited the office.

Jorgan gritted his teeth. "I don't even want to think about what Tavus has planned with that nerve gas. He is not the man I thought he was. The man I knew would have died to protect people from atrocities like that."

When they reached the taxi, he motioned for her to drive. After they were seated, she settled her gloved hand over his. "Nobody could have seen it coming, Aric…they were too good at hiding what they were feeling. Fuse was a friend. I knew something was wrong but he wouldn't talk to me - in the end it didn't matter…I talked to him. He listened. Gearbox…he…he took me under his wing, made me feel at home and welcome…almost like a father would to a newly adopted child. I saw - I scented no deceit in him...in any of them.

"Neither did I," he grumbled.

"Well hell… they never took their armor off – that would have contained and filtered much of their scent. No doubt they counted on that."

He squeezed her fingers. "Needles. He would have known about our acute sense of smell." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Tavus told me they even slept in their armor so that they were always prepared for any threat. Yeah," he scoffed, "the cathar threat."

"We'll get him," she murmured.

"Yes, Wynter, we will." He gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it so he could step out of the taxi.

Sergeant Jaxo's office was conveniently deep in enemy territory, but they were able to get through without drawing attention to themselves, despite their Havoc armor. Even the Black Suns didn't shoot just anyone – and they had less of a desire to shoot someone that could bring the military down on their heads. So, they were watched closely, but no one approached them.

Jaxo smiled when two cathar in Havoc armor stepped into her office. "Hey there, you must be the new Havoc CO I'm Jaxo. It's good to meet you."

"Likewise, Sergeant, and this is my…XO, Sergeant Jorgan," she motioned to her mate. "What do you have for us?"

"Hello, Sergeant," she said with a quick look to the second Havoc squad member. "Your highly enviable task is to destroy a cache of nerve gas canisters that the Black Sun is sending to Tavus. The gas is called Trivoris. Scary stuff – once canister can cover a square kilometer, with one-hundred percent fatality rate inside of ten minutes."

"How am I to safely neutralize the gas?" Wynter inquired.

Jaxo grinned. "Lucky for us it's pretty easy to neutralize Trivoris while it's still in the canisters." She held up a bottle. You will need to plug this bottle into the canister and release the compound. It will render the gas inert. But…" she said as she handed the bottle to the Lieutenant, "you will have to get by Black Sun enforcers to reach the canisters," she warned. "You also have another objective. A red case is being kept under heavy guard. If it's valuable to the Black Sun - it's bad for us. By the way there are signal jammers that are unreachable, so you are on your own. When you have completed your objectives, bring me the red case. Good luck, Lieutenant…Sergeant."

They rented a speeder and hid it behind a pile of junk not far from the Black Sun's base entrance. They neutralized three canisters and managed to locate the red case. She withdrew the blaster and snapped it to her magbelt. They'd had to kill more people than she wanted to think about, but the objectives were complete. She was very grateful to find the speeder in tact when they returned to it. They dropped it off at the lot and returned to Jaxo.

Jaxo beamed a smile at the to soldiers. "You're back! Were the ops successful?" Though she didn't suspect for a moment that they weren't.

"Affirmative," Wynter replied as she pulled the blaster off her magbelt. "This blaster was the only item in the red box, Sergeant."

Jaxo took the blaster and looked it over. "I've never seen anything like it. Must be some sort of new proto-type. I'll take it back to headquarters for analysis. Maybe we can find out where the Black Sun is getting their weapons."

The young woman's eyes were sparkling. "I hope you do, Jaxo."

"I guess we're through here, LT. It's been fun. I hope we get to run together again sometime."

"Then I'll make sure I put your name forward the next time I need backup…or maybe we'll have a toast sometime."

"Sounds good to me, LT. See you later." Her attention was already drawn back to the blaster and she didn't' see them leave.

Just as Wynter was stepping out of Jaxo's office her holo chimed.

"Sorry if I was that annoying," Aric told her as he motioned to the holo.

"Lucky for you - I've been able to forgive you," she teased as she flipped on the holo.

"A situation has developed with the Senate and you are being summoned."

She frowned at Garza's hologram. "What happened?"

"Despite my best efforts, three members of the Senate Defense Committee have learned about Havoc Squad's defection and they want to know the specifics." She shook her head. "I hate politics. Every moment we waste gives Tavus more room to maneuver. Regardless, the Senators have asked that you appear in their office at the Senate tower immediately to testify in the inquiry. I will remind you the more information that is made public, the harder our jobs become."

"So, you want me to lie," she clarified.

"I would never tell you to lie, Lieutenant. That would be illegal. I have merely reminded you of a relevant fact. Try to get this over quickly. Garza out."

"Well, hell…"

"As if we don't have enough troubles already," Jorgan grumbled.

They took the nearest taxi to the Senate tower and hurried upstairs.

Senator Arnus inclined his head. "Lieutenant, make yourself comfortable." Once the soldier was seated, he continued. "On behalf of the Senate of the Galactic Republic, I want to thank you for appearing on such short notice."

"I am at your service, Senators," she replied.

"I assure you we will not hold you from your duties any longer than necessary, Lieutenant," Arnus told her.

She liked what she saw concerning Senator Arnus. She hoped she would not have to lie to the human. She was curious as to why they wanted to speak to her instead of Aric. He had known Havoc longer. She turned to the mirialan who began speaking.

Seneator Voralla stepped forward. "The purpose of this inquiry is to investigate the defection of several members of the Republic Army Special Forces squad number 326, code named 'Havoc Squad', to the Sith Empire.

"You recently served in Havoc Squad on Ord Mantell, Lieutenant. Is that correct?" Arnus asked.

"Yes, sir, it is."

"While serving on Ord Mantell, all of the members of Havoc Squad, excluding yourself, defected to the Sith Empire, is that correct?"

"I do not know where the other members of Havoc Squad are." Truth. "What I do know is that on Ord Mantell I was made the new commander of Havoc Squad." Also truth.

"Lieutenant, you are a soldier of the Republic and sworn to obey the commands of the Senate!" Senator Krasul growled.

Voralla shot a brief glare at Krasul and held up her hands. "Please, we're only trying to discover the truth. If critical members of the Republic armed forces have defected, we'll need to take proper precautions."

"I understand that, Senator, and I've been honest in my responses," she told her.

"It's what you're not saying that is the concern," Krasul grumbled. His voice was too low for the human and mirialan to hear, but he knew the Lieutenant heard.

"Now, did Commander Tavus or any of the other members of Havoc Squad show signs of, say…instability? Anger" Frustration?" Arnus inquired.

"I'm afraid I didn't get the chance to know the former members of Havoc Squad all that well, sir. I can say that Needles, er – Lt. Ryler Dorant made the hairs on the back of my neck rise every time he spoke. I got the feeling he was a sociopath…or worse. Otherwise, there is not much I can tell you."

"Lieutenant! You are lying to the Senate of the Galactic Republic!" Senator Kasul roared.

"Please," Voralla stated calmly, "if you just answer honestly now, we can avoid a full-blown investigation."

She rose from her chair to her nearly six-foot height. "You have your facts wrong, sir. I was on Ord Mantell for a total of three days. How well do you suppose I was able to get to know my squad in that length of time?"

"You are quite right; three days is hardly adequate time to get to know anyone. Let us then speak hypothetically: Do you believe that anyone serving on Ord Mantell should have seen the situation coming?"

She resumed her seat. "If what you say is true, then no one could have seen it coming. If they had been nervous, anxious, or lying in anyway, I'd have been able to scent that."

Arnus glanced at Krasul. The slight nod affirmed the cathar's ability to smell those emotions. "Commander Tavus and the others must have been quite subtle indeed. I have one final question, Lieutenant: What connection, if any, exists between the events that occurred on Ando Prime and Havoc Squad's decision to defect to -"

Voralla cut in. "Senator, I would remind you that the circumstances of Ando Prime are classified and occurred before the lieutenant's involvement in Havoc Squad. You may ignore that question, Lieutenant."

"As you say, Senator."

Krasul did not take his eyes off the Lieutenant, not even when he felt the heat of the Sergeant's glare. The female was going out of heat. His own response to her elevated pheromones angered him. He didn't trust her. He didn't need or want the distraction. "Your part in this inquiry is concluded. You may return to your duties now."

"Goodbye, Lieutenant," Voralla put forth trying to end the proceedings on a less icy tone.

She gave a slight bow to the senators. "Goodbye, Senators." She glanced down at her holo, but it remained suspiciously silent. When she looked up at her mate, she saw his lips twitch.

"Don't look at me, I expected it to chime too," he teased.

They returned to Garza's office, uncertain what to expect. What they got was a mixed bag. She was pleased with how they'd handled the nerve gas and acquired the blaster, she wasn't so impressed with Senate inquiry. Apparently, standing up to give a rebuttal was considered bad manners. Other than that, her statements had been truthful, even when dodging their questions. What surprised her was learning that Jek Kardan, the previous CO of Havoc Squad, before Tavus, was down in the justicar controlled sector on Coruscant. She also learned that Tavus had been telling the truth. The Senate had shut down the entire operation, to include extractions. Jek Kardan had led the squad to safety and resigned.

"They were never quite the same after Tavus took over," Garza explained. "Kardan is a crucial link to the traitors, Lieutenant. Bring him in no matter the cost"

"He'll be back on the double, sir."

"Good. Dismissed."

They welcome was not as tolerated in the Justicar sector as it had been in the Black Sun. More lives were lost than she felt comfortable with, but they refused to let her pass by without conflict. Tavus…well, he was caught making arrangements with Imperials. Now they knew for sure he had turned traitor as well. "In the name of the Republic – I order you to surrender."

"It's over, Kardan," Jorgan growled. "You, the Imps, Tavus – You're all going down."

"Not going to happen, soldier. Now – a Havoc badge? You must be the new recruit Tavus told me about. So, you survived after all. Can't say I'm surprised, honestly. Havoc always did recruit the best."

The Imperial officer scowled. "What are you waiting for, Kardan? Kill the whelp! Or do you lack the true resolve to fight for the Empire?"

"My loyalty is to Tavus. Not to your Empire and not to anyone else," Kardan snarled. "You want the trooper dead – you take care of it. I don't kill good soldiers. I'm heading down to The Works to make sure everything is prepped."

"Kardan – don't do this. Fuse…Gearbox…they were knocked out and forced to leave Republic Space. Not everyone from the prior Havoc wanted this, sir," she explained.

He wasn't sure what to believe or how he felt about what she said. But until he knew what was going on, things would have to proceed on schedule. "It's far too late, kid."

Kardan slipped away while they fought the Imperials. But at least they knew where he was going. The Works. When the last Imp fell her holo chimed. "Right on schedule."

"Come in, Lieutenant. Is it my imagination or were those Imperial soldiers you were fighting?"

"No mistake, sir. These were Imperial commandos."

Imperial soldiers, in uniform, operating on the lower levels of Coruscant – and Republic security knows nothing about it. Incredible. We need to find out more information about the Justicars' relationship with the Imperials. Surveillance shows that the Justicars have their primary computer terminal in that base. I'll send you the coordinates. Find the necessary access card to activate the terminal. My technicians will be able to slice in and uncover everything the Justicars and Imperials have been up to."

"I'll take care of this immediately."

"Good. Garza out."

Thankfully, it was not that far from where they'd been. As soon as she activated the terminal with the stolen activation card, her holo chimed.

"Good work, Lieutenant. My technicians are accessing the files now…Ahh…Kardan…I think we've found what we're looking for. Kardan had the Justicars working with the Imperials to hijack and rebuild an abandoned Republic communications relay, down in an industrial area called The Works. If we destroy it, the traitors will be cut off. I'm sending Sergeant Mathin to bring you the explosives you will need."

"Understood, General. The Works is where Tavus said he was headed next. We may be able to locate him after our mission."

"That is my hope as well, Lieutenant. Kardan may not be on our side, but it doesn't look like he's on the Empire's side either. Bring him in alive if you can. Good luck. Garza out."

Sergeant Mathin was helpful. As soon as they had the detonator and instructions, they headed for the lift that would take them down into The Works, where they found Kardan next to the relay they needed to take out.

Kardan turned around with a slight shake of his head. "Still alive, huh? You really should have gotten out of this while you were ahead. You're a risk to my people and I can't let that stand."

"Sir…I'm still ahead. I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to kill the former Havoc Squad."

"I'm not going to let you get into my head, soldier!"

"Sir," said the Imperial, "shouldn't we -"

"Tavus, Wraith, Needles, Gearbox, fuse…they're like my children and I abandoned them. I resigned and left them to fight alone just to make a point. They need my help now and I'm not going to abandon them again."

"You know they know too much. The Republic will never stop hunting them. If you do not help bring them in alive then you are helping to ensure their deaths. Fuse was my friend and Gearbox took me under his wing. They were incapacitated and forced to leave. I care about them – I don't want to see anything happen to them – just as I don't want anything to happen to you, can't you see that?"

It felt like his heart was tearing to shreds. This was all his fault. If he had stayed, he could have stopped all the madness. What his children didn't realize was that the Empire would only use and discard them. The Republic didn't give a damn about them but neither did the Empire. What were they thinking? No…it was all his fault. "Damn…I can't believe it's come to this."

"Sir?" asked the Imperial trooper.

"All right, soldier. I'll go along with this. But if you harm a single one of my people, you will be dead within the day," Kardan promised. "Understood?"

"Then help me to save them and talk to your people. Make them see reason."

"Let's get on with this, soldier," Kardan said as he stepped forward to turn himself in.

"Gearbox called me Wolf," she said with a small release of breath.

"Wolf, then." He ignored Aric's growl of displeasure.

The Imperial trooped held up his rifle. "I can't allow you to fall into enemy custody alive, Kardan."

Kardan rolled his eyes and turned to the Imperials. "Are you still here? The op's over, people. Finished. Mission failed. So get out of here, while you've still got the legs to carry you."

"You leave me no choice, sir." The Imperial motioned to his men as he discharged his own weapon.

Four against three was nothing when those three were Havoc Squad.

"Hmph. Reminds me of old times," Kardan said in a somber voice. He never should have left. He handed his weapon to the lieutenant. "Here's my weapon – consider me surrendered. I'll make my way up to the Senate tower and turn myself in. See what Garza wants to do next."

"Thank you, sir. I hope…I hope they will listen to you."

"Me too, Wolf. I'm sure we'll meet again."

She watched him walk away. Not for a moment did she think he would make a run for it. She motioned to the cam on her armor. "We'll talk later. But after this…food and sleep. We haven't eaten since breakfast. We'll have to rent us a couple of rooms, because I don't' know about you but I have no desire to sleep in the barracks."

"Agreed, sir. I want peace and quiet…and a very large dinner," he agreed. "Now, Let's go take out that relay and give Kardan's little babies something to think about."

She attached the detonator to the relay, grabbed Aric's hand and double timed it as fast as her feet could fly. The explosion shook the ground and pitched them forward, but momentum kept them on their feet. They came to a stop to catch their breath; their bodies shook with adrenaline but each barked a small laugh of relief.

He covered both their cams and leaned in to soundly kiss his mate. He pulled back and coughed when the wave of smoke caught up to them. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a run with laughter on their lips.

They left The Works and took a taxi up to the Senate tower.

Garza turned when she heard booted footsteps. "Ah, the hero of the hour. I'm proud of you, Lieutenant. You've done well. Jek Kardan walked up to the Senate tower's front door and surrendered himself in broad daylight. I never thought I'd see the day. You have the makings of a diplomat, Lieutenant."

He did not even want to think of his wife being removed from Havoc. "Havoc Squad needs her, sir," Jorgan responded.

"That it does, Sergeant. It needs both of you," Garza agreed.

"I think Kardan blames himself for what happened to the previous Havoc Squad. He might not like the Republic after being left to die, but he never wanted them to defect to the Empire. I know he will help you all he can to bring his…_children_ in alive," she explained.

"I hope you are right in that, Lieutenant. Now, on to more pressing matters. We've already located one of the Havoc traitors: Wraith. You remember Senator Krasul from your meeting with the Senate earlier? Wraith kidnapped him from his home just afterward. We've tracked them to a remote space station called Port Raga."

She remembered the ass-weasel. "Has Wraith made any demands?"

Garza shook her head. "Our intelligence is very thin at the moment and no demands have been made yet. You've already accomplished some amazing things, Lieutenant, but I must ask for more. We can't allow Wraith to succeed."

"Understood, General. Which ship have you booked our passage on?"

"Havoc Squad requires its own starship for operational flexibility. A ship has already been transferred to your command – it's waiting at the space port now. Dock details will be sent to you. Fly to Port Raga and meet with the advance team. Your orders are to rescue Senator Krasul and capture or eliminate Wraith at all costs. Good luck, Lieutenant. Dismissed."

"Hmm…," she said as they left the Senate tower. "A fully stocked …completely empty ship…sounds like we both will be getting the peace and quiet we need for a good night's sleep."

A slow grin spread across his lips. "I like the way you think, Lieutenant."

They said little else as they made their way to the space port. With their armor cams still functioning, there wasn't much more they could say. Since they weren't on a mission, there was little chance someone had activated the cam. But little chance was still more of a chance than they were willing to take. Once they were aboard the ship, she would disable their personal cams.

Another promising thing about having a ship was that they would be out of range of being spied on through their armor cams. The cams would have little use, concerning their main function was to ensure the team was okay and send in reinforcements if needed. They would be too far away for that to even matter. But if she wanted to record, she still could. The cams could be linked with the ship's computer or a storage disk could be inserted into the armor. There were certainly instances where having a cam would be beneficial. She just liked being able to decide for herself when and where to activate it as well as being able to decide who saw what.

Once they reached the hangar bay that held their new ship, her feet slowed to a stop as she took in the sight of their new home. "Rendilii Hyperworks BT-7 Thunderclap. She's old, she's ugly, but she'll get the job done." With a nod to Aric she walked up the ramp and into their new ship. Safety seats lined the walls on both sides of the ships as soon as she stepped through the door. Up a handful of steps stood a talkative protocol droid named C2. To the right of the entry was a cargo hold. To the left in the cargo hold were various small speeders that used a field to hold them in place. Behind them was a door that led to a small storage room with additional speeders. To the right there were crates stacked high with supplies. Crates were clearly marked and netted to hold them in place. To the front were large, easy to access storage units. Up a few steps further from the entry was a small engine room. Taking a left from the entry and up a larger flight of stairs took you to the command center with an extremely large holo terminal. Most of the ship's rooms were offshoots of the command center: medbay, armory, barracks, kitchen, briefing room, refresher that had separate entries for males and females and the CO's quarters. Off the command center and up another flight of stairs lay the XO's quarters on the left and the bridge on the right. She wasn't a fan of the field of view from the bridge but she supposed she'd get used to. Not that there was a choice. She had feeling she'd be relying more on the ship's sensors than anything she could see through the narrow, obstructed permaglass windows.

One thing she did know was she was going to have the weapons repair kiosk moved out of her room and into the command center. There were crates in the command center that could be moved to the cargo hold to make room for the repair kiosk. She was damned sure she did not want her quarters to become grand central station for the rest of the squad she'd be picking up.

With the help of Aric and C2, the three of them were able to put her plan into action. They also moved a large terminal that blocked a door in her quarters to where the repair kiosk used to sit. They discovered the door led to a small, personal refresher. Apparently, whomever used these quarters last either didn't know or preferred to use the main refresher. She tested the water and the sani-steam. Everything worked. "Not sure why this refresher was blocked off, but I'm going to enjoy taking long baths on occasion. Beats a shower or sani-steam any day."

Aric discovered his room, the XO room, had a small refresher too, though it lacked the tub. Oh well, it was a far sight better than sharing a communal refresher.

She took his hand and pulled him back to the armory. There were shelves of various weapons and artillery. There was also a row of lockers for armor along one of the walls. The lockers displayed a holo, but only her's and Aric's were lit up and only their eye scans would open them. She was ok with the added security, but she doubted anyone onboard would tamper with her armor. With a grateful sigh she removed her armor, placed each piece in its designated spot and programmed in the repair and clean functions. Minor repairs and cleaning did not require anything more than a trip to the locker. It was a small luxury that saved her a lot of time.

Once done, she held up her finger to delay anything Aric might have in mind and hunted down C2 to run a search of the ship for surveillance devices. Three were found and locked in a crate in the cargo hold. "I suspect one of the previous commanders wanted to keep on eye on their crew. These don't look like they were professionally set up by command. Regardless, I will not be spied upon in my own home. And for however long…this is our new home, Aric…and I expect you to be in my quarters every night," she said as she slipped her hands up under his underarmor to slide over the muscles of his abdomen.

A harsh breath escaped in a growl and he pulled her to him. Just as he was about to claim her lips both of their bellies protested in earnest. He lowered his forehead to hers and sighed. "Soon." He took her hand and led her to the kitchen. They worked together, amidst gentle touches and brief kisses, to prepare their late-night supper.

They knew they were living on borrowed time…that soon the ship would be filled with new Havoc Squad members, but for now they were alone and they reveled in it. After dinner they enjoyed a long, hot and carnal bath before her mate carried her to the bed, tossed her on it and pounced. They pleasured each other until they fell into an exhausted sleep.

Come morning they discovered their bags had been placed in their bedrooms. So, they put away their clothing and few personal items. After breakfast she used the command center's holo to get permission to depart. With permission granted, they headed up to the bridge. Aric locked in the coordinates on the holomap while she performed the pre-flight checks and set the ship's VI auto-pilot.

He smiled when she looked over and winked at him as the ship lifted out of the hangar bay. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Smiling, that is. Something he hadn't done much of until the night he took her to his place of peace…the night they first discovered they were mated. He didn't recognize the man he was when he was around her, but that might not be a bad thing. With her he felt whole…filled with warmth and happy. An emotion he hadn't felt since he was a small child. Despite the demotion, there was no place else he wanted to be.

Aric, you better stop being a stuffed shirt or so help me I'm going to pull that stick out of your ass and spank you with it.


	5. A StarWars Fable - Prologue Warrior

SWTOR

An Old Republic Tale

Prologue

Warrior – Born to be Sith

Korriban

Syn stretched out on her seat, her arms crossed behind her head to cushion it. She'd proven too much for her old _master_ to handle. In fact, no one at the academy she'd trained at could compete with her swordsmanship and her ability to use the force to ensure she ended up with the best positioning. So, she was plucked from her training early on a promise that she would become some hot-shot Darth's apprentice – as was her due. One day, she would sit on the Council. She was, after all, a noble born and bred to be a Dark Lord of the Sith. She was not black-hearted and evil, like so many sith seemed to be these days, but she was cunning and shrewd. She _would_ get what she wanted. She was good at getting what she wanted, her mother had trained her well.

She didn't bother to look at the two guards that had accompanied her. Why should she bother with them? As a child she got well used to guards following her around. She was a noble and thus required protection. Despite being good at fighting, she preferred not to risk her person if there was another way, so she did not mind the protection detail. She may be prideful, but she was not stupid. A swing of luck or an unseen blaster could end her life. Despite how good she was, she was not infallible. For now, she would do whatever it took to become this Darth's apprentice and use her new _master_ as surely as he would use her. To the victor goes the spoils.

She sat up and braced herself when the shuttle hit turbulence entering Korriban's atmosphere. She peered out the window and sighed. Dusty old bones of a decrepit planet. The sooner she was gone from here the better. She activated the micro-terminal on her bracer and synced it with Korriban's databases. She was not going to wander around this hellscape without a navigation map. After the sync was complete, she lowered her hand and rested it on her pet mawvorr's headplate. Her parents had bought Pim for her as a young child. She never went anywhere without him. Her parents had paid the academy a great deal of credits to permit him to remain with her. Despite his presence, she did not allow him fight her battles. So long as she was an acolyte, she would earn advancement on her own merit.

When the shuttle touched down, Syn walked down the shuttle's ramp with the guards properly behind her. She saw a man approaching her at a hurried clip. She frowned. Did the dark-skinned man have to look so much like Willet, one of the manservants in her household that she'd considered an uncle? She felt a slight tug on her heartstrings at the memory and forced it back.

It was hard to believe the young woman walking towards him was Syn-fae Jinn. With her hair the color bordering dark blonde and light brown and vibrant blue eyes set in face that could rival the most beautiful of models, she did not appear frightening in the least. Regardless of her looks, he could feel her power. "At last," Tremel said with both relief and excitement, "you've arrived. Good, good. I'm Overseer Tremel. There is much to do and every moment is critical."

She turned to her guards with a slight nod. They bowed and returned to the shuttle. She continued forward to meet _Uncle _Tremel. Willet had doted on her so. She wondered of Tremel's intensions. If she didn't like them…no…she would wait to see how things played out. She was not given to rash behavior. Patience often led to victory.

"For decades, I've administered the trials that prove who is and is not worthy to join the Sith Order. The trials are a chance to weed out the weak. Those who face them either survive and become sith or die." He tried not to be distracted by the large, colorful mawvorr with the blue glowing plates. He'd been warned about the beast, he just hadn't expected it to be quite so…large.

His words did not deter her. "I won't die easily. I was born and bred to be sith, just as my parents and ancestors before them were."

She had the confidence of a sith and from what he'd seen and heard, she had the power and skill to back it up. He motioned her to follow him. "It wasn't your pedigree that brought you here." When she caught up to him, he continued. "Yes, you are here ahead of schedule because of me. I expect you to obey. You face your trials, you serve me, and I will make you the most powerful acolyte here."

"While I am aware there is more to learn, never doubt that I am already the most powerful acolyte here," she corrected.

This was a truth he was not willing to concede. Not because he didn't believe it, but because he would not allow her to establish dominance. He had to maintain control. "Leave your over inflated ego at the door – there is no room for it here. And no time to waste. The trials, themselves, are difficult enough, but they are hardly the greatest threat you face. There's an acolyte her named Vemrin. He's heard of your accomplishments and he will try to kill you. We must prepare you."

"You know why you picked me. Do you honestly think he stands a chance against me?" she scoffed.

Again, he would not concede this. She had to need him. If she needed him, he retained the power. "He is not to be taken lightly, even with one of your skill. But with my guidance, someday you'll destroy all your enemies." He motioned to the sword on her back. "That practice sword you arrived with is insufficient – the blade of lesser acolytes. You need a dominating weapon. In the tomb of Ajunta Pall, there's an old armory. A strong sith warblade awaits you there. The tomb is thick with k'lor'slugs, savage creatures. Be speedy but careful. They've been the end of many an acolyte," he warned. "And do not be caught using your…pet to aid you in your trials."

"Do not question my honor in this. Pim will not assist me in any way until I have achieved apprenticeship," she proclaimed haughtily.

He nodded, not for a moment believing she wouldn't use the beast to her own ends. "That choice is yours. You may also consider less… flashy attire. Korriban is not like anyplace you've been before. That gold you are wearing puts a target on your back," he warned, though he doubted she'd listen. "Once you acquire the warblade, I suggest you spend some time in the tomb bloodying it. Then come to me in my chambers in the academy."

When he left, she looked down at the deep burgundy velvet and sateen duracloth that adorned her. On her shoulders were buckled on leather pauldrons that had two long, dark burgundy strips of velvet that cascaded down her back like a cape. She had a thick, filigree gold belt made of a gold metallic alloy, and had gold bands on her bracers and thigh-high armored boots. The protection-enhanced armor was a gift from her parents. The academy she'd grown up in had been affluent. She was far from the only one with armor to befit her station. Tremel was right – Korriban was nothing like anywhere she'd been before. But she would not conform to low-bourne standards. If they attacked her – they would face her retribution.

She noticed a shield rose behind her, preventing her from going back out to the arrival pad, though there was nothing for her out there anyway. "Come along, Pim, we have a warblade to find."

The small hall that led from the intake room led up a set of stairs to the right. At the top, she took another set up stairs out into what her MT told her was the Valley of the Dark Lords. She followed the map and took the steps down into the tomb.

As she was told, she did see large slugs in the tomb – though they didn't much look like any slug she'd ever seen before. Still, they seemed more concerned about eating the corpses that littered the cave than trying to make any new corpses. She followed the pathway, through halls and chambers until the navpoint showed she needed to go right. She passed two droids, on either side of the entry, that appeared to be shut down. She suspected they would not remain so for long. Down the stairs at a landing were two pairs of droids. A few more steps down, the hall opened up into a large changer where several more droids were powered down, along with many ancient suits of armor.

In between two massive stone statues was a blade rack. But only a single blade rested in the rack. She carefully lifted the ancient blade and looked it over. It was tarnished and rusty in spots and unlike any blade she could have imagined; but she could feel the power coming from it. She supposed this blade would due for now, if it were stronger than a practice saber, but it was a lightsaber she wanted to hold in her hands again.

She gave the sword a few swings to get used the heft and balance. It was heavier than a practice blade. When activated, she realized it was somewhat similar to a lightsaber, but instead of a full beam that could retract when not in use, the beam wrapped around a solid core.

The moment she moved past a droid, it activated. So be it. "Pim – stand down!" she told her pet. This was her battle. She jumped to her adversary and whipped the blade through it's middle. Sparks shot in every direction as the two halves fell away. She grabbed another droid with her power and pulled it into her warblade, its lights went out.

Destroying droids were a waste of credits but she would not let them prevent her from leaving with her prize. She took on the other droids that activated as she ascended the stairs. After the last one that lined the halls fell, she felt Pim's warm healing mist, that he produced from the gaseous chamber in front of his lungs. She hadn't needed the healing boost, but since he could not fight with her, he acted in the only way he could to keep her safe.

On the way out of the tomb, a few looters thought to take what was hers. After she showed them the error of their ways, she ensured they would never make any mistakes again. The academy was literally a straight shot from the tomb. Once inside, one of the guards pointed her to Tremel's office. When she turned into his private hall, she saw two men talking with each other. It did not concern her. Until it did.

Vemrin held out his hand. "Hey there, acolyte. Hold on a moment. Let me get a look at you." He grinned. "Isn't she a pretty thing, Dolgis?"

Dolgis snickered. "She should be a centerfold in one of them holomags, Vemrin."

"So, you're Overseer Tremel's secret weapon? Impressive to be sure. Men will surely fall at your feet for a smile." He laughed at his witty remark. "But I'm afraid the old man waited too long to make his move. I'm Vemrin, and unlike you I've fought and bled for everything I have. I demand respect."

She took in his measure and shook her head. "Funny thing about respect. You can't demand it. You have to earn it before you get it. And you have shown me nothing," she pointed out.

Vemrin looked at the armored monster at her side. It had rows of wickedly sharp teeth out of some kind of nightmare. Regardless, he was here first and he would not let her get in his way. "Believe it or not, I'm trying to keep you from getting killed. If Overseer Tremel had made his move a year ago, when I first arrived, you might have had a chance. But now – too little, too late."

"This is ridiculous, Vemrin. Let's just kill her and hide the body," Dolgis grumbled.

"We're not on Balmora anymore, Dolgis. There are rules. Traditions. We'll leave the shortcuts to Overseer Tremel and his last pathetic hope here."

"Pray you never find out what I'm capable of," she warned them. Her voice as cold as glacier ice.

Vemrin waved his hand. He was done with the conversation. "We'll see about that. Coming, Dolgis?"

"Be right there," he called out to his friend's retreating back. "Listen to me, you useless priss. Acolytes aren't allowed to murder each other. But accidents happen. And your mommy and daddy aren't here to buy you out of trouble," Dolgis warned with derisive look at her apparel. "No more warnings. Vemrin's the alpha monster here. You go after Vemrin – you die." He stormed past her to catch up with his friend.

She patted Pim's headplate. "Well, that was amusing…and gratifying." The top monster considered her a threat. And he couldn't be more right.

Tremel was not alone in his office, another acolyte with a warblade stood next to him. "I have returned," she stated as she entered the office.

"Good," Tremel responded. He looked her over. "You seem to be in one piece. Tell me, how do you like your new blade?"

"It is an interesting weapon. I've never handled anything quite like it. It's not as nice as my lightsaber, but it's a lot better than the practice blade."

His eyes widened in surprise. "You have a lightsaber?"

She shrugged. "I did. I got it off a jedi that I was forced to kill when we stumbled upon each other. I used it for the rest of the day, but then turned it over to the masters when I returned to the academy."

Eskella scoffed in disbelief. "You killed a jedi with your practice blade?"

"What? Of course not. I force choked him in the middle of his amazing leap. I've been honing my own leaps ever since," she explained.

"It doesn't matter if she killed a jedi, father. I've been here six months and only just got my warblade!" Eskella bit out, barely able to stop her foot from stamping in frustration.

He held his hand up to quiet his daughter. "I have my reasons, Eskella. And you will not breathe a word of this to anyone. Do you hear?"

She dropped her head to hide her emotions. "Yes. Yes father."

"Acolyte, this is Eskella, my daughter. She's one of the advanced students here. On her way to becoming sith, if she_ minds_ herself," he warned his daughter.

"I'll keep quiet about your new charge, father. But I won't be there if whatever you're planning blows up in your face." With that, she straightened her shoulders and left with as much dignity as she could. How could any acolyte defeat a jedi? No, it had to have been a…padilan, was it? Stupid jedi words.

"Don't worry about her," he said with a wave of his hand. "She's just sore that I'm keeping secrets. She growls but she's loyal. Now, I thought I heard Vemrin's voice in the adjacent chamber before you arrived. Did he make his move so soon?"

"He did. He is smart to consider me a threat."

"You will be dealing with him in time. Still, I'd hoped we'd have more time. Vemrin's not the type to sniff around for too long before trying to take a bite. In a drive for sheer numbers, the criteria for Academy admittance has been relaxed. Now anyone with force sensitivity is allowed entrance. Vemrin is not like you or I, he is mixed blood. The invisible rot eating at the foundation of the Empire. He must not be allowed to advance."

She crossed her arms under her breasts. "He is not going to give me the chance to supersede him. Let me solve the problem now."

He rubbed his chin and shook his head slowly. "Unfortunately, Vemrin's caught the eye of Darth Baras, one of the most influential sith lords. He's being groomed to be Baras' new apprentice. As his apprentice, the power at Vemrin's fingertips will be considerable. He could change the sith for the worse." He released a slow breath. "You must proceed to your next trial immediately. I want you to interrogate three prisoners in the academy jails and decide their fates. Consider each criminal's story carefully. The decisions you make will be scrutinized, so let your passions guide your judgement."

She inclined her head. "I will see to it, Overseer."

"Good," he replied with a nod, "Speak to head jailer Knash and return to me after you've passed judgment on the prisoners."

She pulled up her map, took a quick look and flipped off the holoscreen of her MT. She turned left and followed the hall around until she turned into the prison chambers. She found Knash in a smaller chamber on the right.

"One more chirp from you, little bird, and you'll regret it," Knash growled, ready to pull what little hair he had left out of his scalp. When the twi'lek grinned and made bird noises again, he depressed the button on the remote and her body contorts with electrical energy.

Vette grabbed at the collar as soon as she could move. "Ow! Jerk. If you don't like that, just say so. I can do other animals, too. Dire-cat, frog-dog, Kowakian monkey-lizard, you name it."

His hand lifted to his forehead and he rubbed it. Footsteps alerted him to someone's approach. This had to be Syn-fae Jinn. At least she arrived before he went home for the night. "I'm Jailer Knash. I run these cells and slave pits. You're the acolyte Tremel sent for the test, right? Hrmph. He thinks highly of you." He took a step away from the beast at her side.

"As he should. But I will continue to prove myself, regardless," she told him.

He bit back a frown. Sith were all alike with their arrogance. "You should know this situation is highly unusual. Normally, an acolyte goes offworld for the interrogation. Overseer Tremel had these three shipped in for you. He thinks you are the next coming of Exar Kun. But you ought to know, Tremel ain't the only one paying attention to you." He motioned towards the cells. "The convicted are usually executed or given trial by combat to see if they're worthy. Whatever you decide, you will be the one to carry out the sentence."

She inclined her head to him. "As you say, Jailor Knash."

He nodded. "The one on the left, she was sent to kill an imperial spy in the Yavin System. Throughout her torture, she maintained that she was hired anonymously.

Solentz put her hands on her hips. "Get it through your damn head – I had no ideal he was Imperial and I don't know who hired me. I got paid to do a job. I did it. End of story."

Knash frowned. "See? She doesn't deny the charge. So, now you must decide - execution or trial by combat? Which do you choose?"

"Neither," she said with a shrug. "She is an accomplished assassin. She could prove useful. Send her to Imperial Intelligence."

"Hrmph," Knash rubbed his chin. "You spared her. Interesting."

Devotek grabbed the bars of his cell. "I am a fellow sith. Judge me with an open mind and grant me trial by combat."

"You realize it is unlikely you will win?" she asked with more compassion than she'd intended to show.

"This pile of waste," Knash said as he motioned to the old man, "is Devotek. Once a valued sith champion, until he botched an important mission and caused a thousand imperial deaths. Now look at him."

Devotek gripped the rails tighter. "I served faithfully for twenty-four years, then one mistake and they threw me away. I have been left here to rot. Let me feel the weight of a weapon once more. Let me die with dignity."

"I will grant your wish," she told the prisoner. "A warrior should die with a weapon in their hand."

Knash handed the prisoner a weapon and moved out of the way. "This should be entertaining."

She toyed with the old man – if it could be called that. She let him get in a few close calls and parried the rest of his movements. To give him the chance to feel the thrill once more. Then, she took advantage of his tiring arms and her blade found his heart. A quick death for a man that had served for so many years.

That had not played out as he had expected. "Hrmph. You were playing with him. You could have killed him in the first few seconds."

"That wasn't the point. He died a warrior's death," she told him point blank. "Allowing him to enjoy the weight of the blade in his hand again, took nothing from me. May someone grant you the death of your choice when your time comes."

She was an interesting one. "Come," he said as they moved to the third cell. "Brehg here is a bit of a puzzle. The jittery little wretch is suspected of supplying forged documents to Republic agents." He rubbed his chin. "Strangely enough, he maintains his innocence despite being severely tortured."

He looked up at the sith that would judge him and rose on shaky legs. "I was set up! I did some time in a Rep jail for forgery, so I was the perfect candidate to implicate in this. But straight I've been since getting out, I swear!"

"He's never wavered from that line, and the evidence is circumstantial. I suppose it's actually possible he didn't do it. So, what do you decide?"

She sensed no deceit from him. The alien's emotions were like an open book. And that made the decision all the harder. She could not let him go, to do so would give him knowledge he could take back with him about everything he'd seen up until now. Killing an innocent man was not something she could do without being haunted by it. It would forever be her burden to bear. She stiffened her spine. "It doesn't matter if he did it or not, he knows too much. He will be executed."

"That's not fair!" Bregh wailed. "I'm innocent."

"I know," she said quietly. "And for that I am sorry." She gripped him by the neck through the force and jerked her fist, the snapping of bone sent a shiver down her back. She couldn't bear for him to suffer. It was bad enough she'd had to kill an innocent man. "It is done," she said as she released the body.

A sith who showed wisdom and mercy. "Well, that's that. You're an interesting one, kid. I can see why people are keeping tabs on you. Head back to Overseer Tremel, see what he thinks of your choices." Relief lifted like a weight off his shoulders when the young woman and her beast left. May he never see that thing again in his life.

She turned right from the prison chambers and took the long hall all the way to where it ended at Tremel's office. Again, he was not alone, so she waited. Squatting down next to Pim, she grabbed the protrusions on either side of his head, using them like handles and pulled his head over so she could kiss the top of his nose bone. She rubbed his neck behind the protrusions until the Overseer's visitor left.

"Sorry to make you wait," Tremel said as he rose from the desk to come around it to face her. "These interruptions are incredibly annoying. On to the business at hand – your test in the jails. First, the assassin. You assigned her to Imperial custody. I commend you, that was excellent thinking. Never waste a potential resource. What's more important is that Darth Baras would approve. Now, Devotek, the failed warrior. Why grant his wish for trial by combat?"

The truth was not for him to know. "It took no more time to kill him by sword than to choke the life out of him. He was just another test for my new warblade, Overseer."

He closed his open mouth with a snap. Of all the answers he'd expected that had not been one of them and he did not have an appropriate rebuttal, since she was correct and he had told her to practice with her new warblade. She was a crafty one. He nodded. "Lastly, the forger you sentenced to death. Why did you kill him instead of having a confession tortured out of him?" he asked curiously.

"He had already been severely tortured. I doubt more torture would have accomplished anything but using up more resources to keep him alive. I couldn't release him; he'd seen too much. Death was the only answer," she explained.

"That shows wisdom, acolyte. Your decisions will impress Darth Baras, but you still have a long way to go. Vemrin has been here for a year and is still ahead of you. Because I forced you into the Academy ahead of schedule, Darth Baras will be predisposed to judging you severely. And by severely, I mean fatally. So, let us hurry on to your next trial. Tomorrow morning. Every moment that passes we risk discovery before we are ready. In the caverns of Marka Ragnos is the beast he left to guard his legacy. Go there, sit among the flames and wait for the beast to come to you. Defeating this beast will take your best effort. If you are successful, his body will be examined, so make sure your beast does not assist you in that battle."

She patted Pim's headplate. "Sorry, boy. We will have to find something else for you to eat."

He shuddered at the thought. "Return to the Valley of the Dark Lords, enter the tomb of Marka Ragnos. Return to me when the beast is slain. Good luck."

After she was told the room she was assigned to, her three roommates were not at all impressed with Pim. And since it was dinner time and light still remained in the red sky, she decided to hunt the beast tonight. By the time she got back, hopefully, they would be asleep.

Her micro-terminal showed her the tomb was down in the Lower Wilds. Thankfully, money was no concern since her parents kept her credit chip full. At the skyhop pad, she rented a taxi with a back seat. And she grinned watching Pim squish himself into it.

More mountains of carved red stone and red sand. Quite the miserable place to be. She climbed out of the taxi when it landed. No matter, she would get this done. "Come on, Pim, I have a beast to hunt."

Thankfully, it was a straight shot down the field. There were animals and people acting in bizarre manners, but no one confronted her. At least not until she entered the tomb. So, the acolyte and apprentice rejects hung out in the tombs? She didn't suppose they had much of a choice if they wanted to live. But that did make them desperate for money to try to get offworld. Not that they could beat her, of course.

Seven acolytes attacked; seven acolytes died under her warblade. She entered the middle chamber and turned right. Yes, this was where she should find the beast. The end chamber was large and filled with caskets, statues and skulls. Skulls were piled everywhere. An ancient offering of some sort? Slaves? The original Blood that inhabited this planet? Who can say? It was creepy and unsettling. Some sith were monsters. She had no problem admitting that.

Bowls filled with skulls and covered in blue flames lit the way up a set of stairs to a large stone tablet on a dais. She could not read the script and she doubted it mattered much. The dead bodies in front of the stone steps showed the beast was good at killing. Sit among the flames and wait for the beast to come. And so she shall.

She walked up the steps and knelt in front of the massive tablet. "Pim – stand down."

She spun around when she heard stone fall and tumble across the floor. A giant, spiked beast jumped out of what she though was a large coffin. But perhaps, instead, it led to a lower level of the tomb. She had no more time to think on it as her instincts took over.

Fighting it was an acrobatic act. She dove in to slice at weak points in its armored hide and jumped back to avoid the swipe of it massive claws. When it jumped for her, she used the force to push it back, and continued the dance until the creature took its last breath. And so, it was done. "Now, let's see if we can find you a slug to eat." At his pained growl, she laughed. Well, okay then, how about tuk'ata? We passed some on the way in. Does that sound good to you?" she asked as they left the tomb. Pim growled agreeably.

On the way back, they found a young one. She scared the rest of the small heard away while Pim took down the calf. She watched patiently to ensure the herd did not return while Pim enjoyed his dinner. When he was done, he dragged what was left over to her. "Sorry, Pim, we can't take that with us. But you know I'll never let you go hungry. It grows dark, we need to hurry back, boy."

She could hear the eerie howls of the tuk'ata and cries from species she was uncertain of. This place was no different than most. It became creepy at night. It was nice to finally reach the lit taxi area. Her belly was rumbling, but not enough that she had wanted to share Pim's dinner.

Thankfully, the more expensive taxi she'd paid for was still there and she paid once again for a ride back to the temple. She stopped off at the mess hall and then went straight to the refresher. One look at Pim and the refresher cleared out. She hung her clothing in the decontamination closet and hopped into the shower to scrub the red grit off her body. When she was done, she had Pim join her while she washed away the clingy sand from his scales.

By the time she was done, her clothing was cleaned and she slipped back into it. She used a sani-light on her teeth and returned to her quarters. Two of her roommates were already asleep, the third burrowed deeper under her blanket and turned her back to Pim. She smiled and sank into the mattress with a sigh of pleasure. Pim curled up next to her bed, his panting lulling her to sleep.

By the time she woke up, she had the room to herself. After a quick trip to the refresher, she headed to the mess. She ate a light breakfast and bought a couple of raw steaks for Pim before she returned to Tremel's office.

As she entered Tremel's private hall, she ran into none other than Dolgis again. "Your master let you off his leash?" she taunted.

"So, you do remember me. It's good to know the name of your killer. Notice anything interesting?" he asked as he made a show of looking around. "No witnesses. No witness means no rules. No more shortcuts. No more special treatment. You're just gonna be another dead failure on Korriban."

As his hand lifted to go for his blade, she already had hers out. Her blade bit into his side, but he spun out of it, slashing his blade in a downward arc. Her blade met his, but she could not possibly overcome his sheer muscle. She leapt backwards and flung him against the wall. He came down hard on his knee and charged. A few more swipes of her warblade and he was back down on one knee, this time in surrender, his blade in front of him on the ground.

"No! Hold up! Look, I was wrong. maybe you were getting special treatment – but the stories we heard about you, I believe them now. So…strong. I don't want to die," he pleased.

"I don't want to kill you, Dolgis, but don't cross me again," she warned.

He picked up his practice saber and settled it in the hook on his back as he rose to his feet. "You won't see me again – I promise." With those words, he hurried as fast as his hurting body allowed. He didn't want to risk her changing her mind.

"We must speak quickly," Tremel told her the moment she walked into his office. "I may have made a slight miscalculation. The beast of Marka Ragnos was a great source of dark energy here on Korriban. When it was slain, there was a tremor in the force. Darth Baras felt that tremor and has become aware of you. He demands an audience."

"Tell me more about this Darth Baras." She did not want to walk into this blindly.

"Baras is a serious man but a master of deception. Everything he does and says is calculated. He will attempt to trip you up, test your nature, get to the heart of who you are. Always take him seriously. And I mean always," Tremel warned. "We might not speak again, acolyte. You're the best chance of stopping Vemrin. If you fail, I doubt there will be another strong enough. Now, go. Meet Darth Baras in his chambers. And hurry. He won't take kindly to waiting." He gave her shoulder a brief squeeze. "Good luck." He frowned as she walked out of his chamber. He hoped his miscalculation did not harm her. She reminded him a lot of his sister and he only wanted the best for her.

-BREAK ONE-

Her MT showed Baras' chambers were upstairs. She straightened her shoulders outside his rooms and walked in confidently. But it was lost on the Darth, as he was speaking with other acolytes.

"Most of you will not return from your endeavor. If you die, you will be forgotten. If you give up, you will be killed. Now, out of my sight," Baras growled with a wave of his hand.

Klemral groaned as he headed towards the exit. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"You should," Vemrin scoffed. "This is the end of the line for you, Klemral. Just make sure you stay out of my way."

Klemral spotted the new hotshot and nudged Vemrin. "Look here, Vemrin, I see the upstart but no sign of Dolgis."

Baras glared at the two remaining acolytes and slapped his palms down on his desk, the noise echoing in the chamber. "Klemral, Vemrin, you have been dismissed."

"Yes, master," Klemral said, eager to get out of Baras' sight.

"I underestimated you by sending Dolgis," Vemral hissed. "It will not happen again."

Baras slipped his hands behind his back as she approached his desk. "Are you having trouble with acolyte Vemrin, supplicant?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

He stepped out from behind his desk. "He is thoroughly capable of backing up his threats."

"As am I," she stated boldly.

"Vemrin has paid his dues. He's fought a deck stacked against him to get here. You, on the other hand…" He moved closer to the new acolyte he'd heard so much about. "Let me look closer at you. Hmm…yes, as I suspected. Overseer Tremel has done you and this Academy a great disservice. Your warblade came early, prisoners flown in for your convenience, even a beast hear on Korriban instead of offworld in the wild. The pacing of the trials is deliberate. Only full immersion over time produces results. Your mind is soft, unhoned, undisciplined."

Her spine stiffened. "With respect, I disagree." When Pim growled, she patted the top of his headplate to quiet him.

"It is good you keep your beast leashed around me. I will not hesitate to kill it," he warned. "Now, as I was saying, the first month of trials should be dedicated to philosophy, conceptual tactics, understanding of the Sith Code. Recite the Sith Code for me, acolyte and explain its meaning in battle, war and politics," he challenged, knowing she'd fail because she had been rushed through her trials.

"What you are asking is not new to me. I was not plucked off the street and brought here. I spent years at another academy until they deemed it wise for me to transfer here to complete my training. But if you wish for a report, then I will comply." She slowly and fully told him everything he asked until he waved his hand to get her to stop.

His continued to pace as he recompiled what he knew about her. "Regardless of your knowledge of the Sith Code, you have been given special treatment instead of earning it like everyone else. And it does not matter what your accomplishments were somewhere else – only what they are here. I am your master now. Tremel was becoming lax before you ever arrived. His unwillingness to adapt to the evolving sith paradigm has become a liability. These are the actions of a traitor. Traitors are executed. I grant you immunity from punishment. Kill Tremel and bring back his hand as proof."

"As you say, master," she said with bow.

"I'm sure Tremel is still in his chambers. Don't return until you have killed him. Now, leave," Baras growled.

She watched Tremel rise from his desk at her approach. "We have a problem."

He sighed. "I suspected as much since I did not expect to see you back so soon. Has Baras sent you back to me?" he asked, the resignation tight in his voice.

"He did. He has ordered me to kill you - I am to bring him your hand, not your head. So, are we to fight or will you give me your hand and disappear?" she asked quietly. She did not want to kill a man that so resembled someone she cared for. A man she found herself liking, even if he was a bigot.

He shook his head sadly. "Then I have been outplayed. Baras has the authority but I did not think he would do something this overt. Either I die or he forces me to kill you and destroy my own plan. A master stroke. But it would seem that you have come up with a most cunning solution." He held out his hand and ignited his lightsaber. "This is going to hurt," he muttered as he brought his blade down across his wrist.

He bit back a scream and stared down at his cauterized stump. "That did not tickle." He kicked his hand and it skittered across the floor. "I'll rest and then leave Korriban…covertly."

"I'm sorry it came to this. Live the rest of your life far away from the sith. Maybe you will finally find some peace."

"Of course. Goodbye, acolyte. Rid the sith of that plague Vemrin. My hopes lie with you."

When he left through a hidden passage in his office. She reached down and grasped the hand as though she were shaking it. She was ever so thankful he was wearing a glove. Wanting to get rid of the vile thing quickly, she hurried back upstairs to the Darth's chambers.

When she reached his desk, she slapped the hand down on it. "Tremel's hand, as you requested. I had the body taken care of as well. I'm anything, if not efficient."

He pulled the hand out of the glove and turned it over. The scar on its palm and the ring on its finger gave truth to her words. He pried the ring off. "You have done well. Here, take this ring as a memento. Remembering the past can strengthen resolve and embolden the spirit. I am impressed you had the fortitude to destroy him. You know, he thought of you as family. How did it feel to betray him?"

"I felt no joy in the deed. He treated me well. I did what needed to be done for the sith to prosper."

He nodded. While he could have wished that she'd savored the kill, what mattered most was that she'd had the fortitude to see it through. Even more so because she hadn't wanted to. Perhaps that meant more in the long run. "You have taken your first steps to applying the Sith Code." He turned to peer up at a revered sith statue. "Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, we gain strength. Through strength, we gain power. Through power, we gain victory. Through victory, our chains are broken. The force shall set us free."

He turned back to face the acolyte. "By embracing the code and destroying Tremel, you have freed yourself from his shackles. And escaped his fate."

She inclined her head to him. "You have made your point. I understand."

He grinned beneath his mask. "That's more like it. I had a feeling you'd be a fast learner. Now, there are sacred ruins in the tomb of Tulak Hord. The ancient inscriptions that once adorned the walls of each ruin lie in pieces. You'll venture through the entire tomb, search all of the ruins, and bring me a shard from each of these inscriptions. You will do this or you will die. Vemrin and my other acolytes have already been sent. There are no rules regarding how they secure the shards, and they will stop at nothing." He looked over at her pet. "That applies to you as well. You are dismissed."

She smiled as she turned away from the Darth. She stroked her pet's head. "It looks like I'll be able to unleash you for this, my friend."

According to her micro-terminal, Tulak Hord's tomb was not far from Ajunta Pall's. She hadn't gotten far and already the red dust was creeping up her legs. The taste of it coating her mouth. She longed to spit, but would not be caught doing such a thing.

The first chamber of the tomb was heavily guarded. Since she didn't know where the shards would be, that meant she had to thoroughly comb through every chamber along the way. Tedious but doable. At least she had Pim to guard her back while she searched.

It seemed the guards had gotten no further than the first chamber, which had already been picked clean. Further in, were the bones of those that died exploring the tomb. She did not like the dead, which was why killing was not her first choice. She new it was a childish fear and she kept it well controlled. Still, she could not stop the shiver that ran down her spine. She was sensitive to shades and spirits. And when they found out, they tended to hound her unmercifully. Her first encounters had been terrifying as a child and that unease had never gone away, despite being better able to ignore the undead shades now.

She found the first of the shards in a large chamber with another one of those massive stone tablets. Perfect. Two more to find. The second pathway through the tomb took her back outside where Tulak's vaults were located. Her first stop would be the Archives.

She found slugs, looters, and failed acolytes in the Archives. The looters were the only ones she had a problem with. There were valuable sith artifacts in these tombs and they did not belong in the hands of anyone but the sith. She would prefer the artifacts to remain where they were buried, but that was not the way of things. Unfortunately, the slugs and acolytes chose to confront her too, few backed away and she and Pim were forced to kill any that attacked.

The second of the shards were found in another large chamber where a massive statue held up another of those strange tablets. A pity she could not read the ancient language. No doubt, there was much she could have learned from the tablet. She could find nothing more in the Archives except more things that wanted to kill her, so she retreated from the tomb and hurried on the Machine Vault.

She found nothing in the chanber to the left, so backtracked to hit the other side of the vault. The third of the shards she found in another chamber with the massive tablet. Her only enemy this time had been the bat-lie shyracks. She wasn't sure why they were given that name, they weren't exactly shy. Would that she had put that together sooner, it could have saved her a lot of time searching chambers and only searched the chambers that held the large tablets. Though, in hindsight, it did make sense, since the shards belonged to other broken tablets. She patted Pim's head as she laughed at herself.

An inner relief filled her when she stepped out of the tomb, though she kept it locked tight. She would not show anyone her weakness.

As soon as she reached the academy, she made a quick stop at the cantina. She had missed the nooning meal at the mess hall, so chose to pay for their food at the cantina instead. She ignored the stares she and Pim were given and purchased him a raw roast and herself a nerf burger and milkshake. He was, of course, finished before her, even though it felt as though she'd inhaled her lunch.

With a content belly, she headed upstairs to Baras. "Klemral, right?" she asked the leader of the three acolytes that blocked her path along the Darth's private hall.

Klemral looked nervously at his two companions and swallowed hard. "You-you did it, didn't you? You got the shards from the tomb and you're on your way back to Lord Baras."

Her gaze narrowed on his. "Are you hoping to relieve me of my burden?"

Jolip laughed. "She's pretty smart, Klemral."

"Maybe, maybe not. But it doesn't take much to see stupid – and attacking me is all kinds of stupid," she warned, her voice as hard as ice. She knew they would not heed her advice. "Pim – stand down."

Klemral straightened his shoulders to prove he was not frightened. "With your monster at bay, it looks like you are outnumbered."

In a flash, she grabbed her warblade, channeled the force through it and slammed it on the floor, the shockwave making the three attackers stumble and fall to the ground. She kicked Klemeral, sending him onto his back and settled the blade over his heart. "Must I kill you?" she hissed.

"Stop! I'm- I'm sorry. I made a mistake. I tried to get through the tomb, but there were just too many shyrack. I barely escaped. Vemrin is already inside with Baras, all the other acolytes died. You were my only chance. Now, I'm doomed. I'll never become sith. Unless I return with the shards, Baras will have me killed."

She nodded. "He will." With a deep sigh, she reached into her pocket and withdrew one of her credit chips. "Here," she handed him the chip, "there is enough on the chip to get you offworld. Get out of sith controlled space. Become a jedi, if you must. I hear they are nicer to their…padilan. Such a bizarre word," she muttered. "Or get a mundane job and live a long life. Up to you. But you best be gone quickly."

It was the best he could hope for. He took the chip from her hand. "Thank you, my lady. I won't forget your generosity. But…you can't get off Korriban without special clearance."

Did she have to do all the thinking? "Use the chip to pay one of the merchants to hide you in their hold. All merchants have hidden, unscannable compartments. Pay them part now and the rest when you get to safety. You'll find a majority of them in the cantina. Now go and do not waste time, because it is not on your side."

She left him to his own devices and continued on to Baras' office.

"Ah," Baras said, crossing his arms in front of him. "The prodigal supplicant returns – and with all the shards form the tomb of Tulak Hord," he said as she handed him the proof of her deeds. "Superb! It seems your hopes have been dashed, Vemrin."

Fury whipped through Vemrin. He would kill the pretty little princess himself. "Appearances can be deceiving," he growled.

Baras waved his hand in Vemrin's direction. "Excuse Vemrin, supplicant. He expected you to fall on your face."

"Perhaps, he should learn by now that I'm not so easy to trip," she pointed out.

The Darth smiled behind his mask, his steepled fingers tapping against each other. "The tension is thick between you two. A great source of emotion to feed on. I wonder what will happen when it boils over?" You both stand on the precipice of becoming sith. But only one of you will have the opportunity to claim a special lightsaber and serve as my apprentice. I thought it would be you, Vemrin, but I've changed my mind."

Icy cold shot through Vemrins veins. No. "What? I've done everything you've asked. Better than any of the others! The honor should be mine!"

She didn't blame his upset. He'd had a hard life and worked hard to get where he was. But in the world of the sith, only the strongest survived. And, unfortunately for him, she was stronger. "I understand that you, more than most, are aware that life is rarely fair. And I'm well aware you will do your best to ensure you are the last one standing. I welcome the challenge."

Baras held up his hand to silence them. "Today, Vemrin is your equal but the force is stronger in you, Syn, and there is a power sleeping within you." A power he very much wanted for himself. "It was a simple decision." He turned to the young man, "Now, Vemrin, go wait in my antechamber for your instructions. _This instant_," he growled.

When the acolyte left, he gave his attention to the young woman that was deceptive in her appearance. She appeared pretty, weak – but he knew that to be a deception. He could see the intelligence and cunning in her gaze and the power emanating from her was delicious indeed. If she became his apprentice, he would use her power to build his own. In the end, he would likely have to kill her, of course, she was too strong for it to be otherwise – but until then, she would only strengthen his power base. "Now, I hope you fathom how fortunate you are to be singled out. You have impressed me more than I expected possible, considering your _special treatment_. If you become my apprentice, the galaxy will bend before you."

With her hand to her chest, she gave a slight bow. "You honor me."

Baras nodded. Indeed, he did. "The lightsaber you will seek is old and powerful. It is housed in a forbidden cavern in the tomb of Naga Sadow where few sith have ever set foot. Almost no one knows how to find the secret entrance. But there is a twi'lek in the holding pens who was caught breaking in there. I hear she is quite willful. Take her and make her show you the entrance to the forbidden cave."

A slave. She missed her twi'lek slave Bree. They grown up together. Bree was soft spoken, but could always get her to laugh, no matter the snit she was in. Though, she was glad her slave was not on Korriban – she wouldn't wish this hellscape on anyone. "I will take care of it," she said with an incline of her head.

"Other acolytes seeking to complete their trials are sent to the tomb, where academy laws are waived. They will try to murder you. This final test will determine if you become sith. So, bolster yourself. To set foot in the tomb of Naga Sadow is to breathe in death itself," he warned.

-BREAK TWO-

With a nod, she departed his chambers. She remembered the slave from her previous jaunt to the prisons. The slave's mouth was as smart as her own. She couldn't wonder how that would turn out. It would either irritate her to no end or they would get along just fine.

Vette's body contorted. "Ouch!" she yelped, grabbing her throbbing neck.

Knash laughed. "I'm just getting my fill of fun while I still can." He heard the footsteps behind him and saw Syn. "Ah, as if on cue. Look who's back. Word is you might become Lord Baras' apprentice. Hrmph. Nice work, if you can get it." He looked at the beast that was staring at him like supper. He cleared his throat. "I'm told you'll be relieving me of this twi'lek. Be warned – she's a pain in the neck."

"Ha!" Vette scoffed. "Who's a pain in the neck? I'm the one wearing the shock collar."

He motioned towards her collar, "Consider it a going away present, twi'lek. Seems you might be useful for something after all. Syn here is going to take you into the tomb where we caught you."

Vette folded her arms across her chest a smug grin on her face. "None of you can figure out how to activate the tomb statues to open the forbidden cavern, huh?"

Syn shrugged. "I honestly haven't even tried. I haven't been to the tomb yet."

"You got some kind of business in that secret," she wiggled her fingers as if she were a scary spirit, "sith chamber, do you?"

Most slaves were either cowed or soft spoken, this one was neither. It would appear that she didn't care if she were punished or not. Stupid or rebellious? If she could get into the secret chamber then she was not stupid. So, rebellious despite the pain it would cause her. She could respect that. She could imagine she would react the same way were she ever enslaved. Not that she would ever let that happen. "Of course, and I'd appreciate your help."

Knash shook his head. "Don't bother being pleasant. Here, kid," he handed her the remote, "take the remote to her shock collar. I just set it on a higher level. Use it enough, and she'll show you the back door to her mother's house." He smirked at his own wit.

Vette sighed. At least getting outside was better than this cage. "I suppose I can play tomb tour guide. A lot of work went into cracking that nut, but I did it once, I can do it again. Just so we're clear, I'm officially on strike when it comes to domestic duties. I'm bad at it and you will not like the results."

She wasn't sure if the slave was lying, but that wasn't something she was willing to test if there was no need. "I appreciate the warning. If I require a maid, I will buy another slave or hire one. You are needed for a more particular set of skills."

Vette grinned. "Well then, maybe things are looking up for me." Her grinned turned wry. "As if they could get worse." She sighed. "Lead the way. I'll show you the unlocking points throughout the tomb and then open the oh so secret door. So long as your dog doesn't eat me first…"

"Pim is a puddle of love. If you don't try to kill me, he won't eat you."

Still, Vette eyed the beast warily as she was let out of her cell. Its massive teeth could bite straight through her leg. "If you say so."

Syn grinned at the slave's disbelief. "I do." She patted Pim's headplate while she waited for the slave to remove her ugly jumpsuit and put on her armor and weapons that had been confiscated when she was captured. Once the twi'lek was set to rights, they left the prison behind.

"Glad to be out of there," Vette told her. "But as places of higher learning go, this one has got to be the scariest."

"Corruption at its finest," Syn agreed.

Vette grunted in surprise. "I can't believe a sith would say that."

"That we are entitled power-mongers? There are few that power doesn't corrupt. It is the way of all things."

"Has it corrupted you?" Vette asked uncertain if she would be punished for the question.

"I grew up a rich and pampered noble, being told I was better than my lessors and given everything I ever wanted. But power?" Syn shrugged. "Outside of being a spoiled brat, I've never had any real power. So, who can say how it will affect me if I ever do have a powerbase?"

"Whoa, talk about a blast of honesty. I didn't expect that from a sith," Vette admitted. "I've pretty much always been a slave." She tilted her head to get a better look at the sith walking next to her. "You know… Most people don't consider themselves spoiled brats."

"I was best friends with my slave, Bree, we grew up together. She was…my lady's maid, you could say. If I was being spoiled, she called me out on it. That didn't always stop me, of course, but it did allow me to see my behavior."

"What happened to your slave?" Vette asked curiously, though more out of self-preservation.

"Happened to her?" Syn laughed softly. "Nothing. She is still at home. I will send for her once I'm in a position to do so. I miss her a great deal," she admitted.

Another dose of honesty from the sith. Who'd have thought? "You are not like any sith I've ever met."

Syn cocked her head to better see Vette. "Why? Because I care?"

As if it wasn't obvious. "Well – yeah."

She shrugged. "My parents doted on me. I was not just a future pawn for advancement on their part. I was their most precious jewel. Of course, they didn't treat their slaves like I treated Bree, but I grew up with her, we were best of friends no matter our stations. She is family to me. But were someone to cross me, I would show them the sith I am."

"Good to know," Vetter chirped. "Crossing you is not at the top of the list of things I want to do."

Syn brows quirked and she laughed. "Good. Because killing you is not at the top of the list of things I want to do."

"Superb!" Vetted proclaimed with a pump of her fist. "Since killing each other is at the bottom of both our lists, then I'm sure we'll be besties before you know it."

"I'm Syn-fae Jinn, though everyone calls me Syn – or _princess_ if they are being an ass. Though I suppose there are worse things I could be called," she admitted with a grin, though few had ever attempted to call her anything else.

"Yeah…there are. You hear them all as a slave. I go by Vette. I prefer that to _slave_, if you are feeling generous. Here it is, this is the tomb."

The three of them cleared out the looters and then Vette activated the switch on the statue.

"Done," The twi'lek said and then noticed Syn shiver. "Whoa – are you okay?"

"Of course. It was simply a chill," she retorted briskly. It would seem Vette was more observant than most.

"If you say so," Vette responded, even though she didn't quite believe the sith. "The next switch is this way."

She followed Vette around to the next chamber, also filled with failed acolytes that wanted to take her place. Once the last one fell, Vette quickly located the switch and activated it. "Hurry, this way."

The third switch was directly across from the second one, in the next chamber. The final switch lay behind an ancient suit of armor. Neither had been easy, they had to fight every step of the way.

"There. Now we should be able to enter the forbidden cavern," Vette told her with a grin. She led the way, letting the sith do most of the fighting. When she entered the chamber, she spun around in a circle. "This is it! The secret entrance to the hidden cavern is over here! Just give me a few minutes to -"

Vemrin stepped out of the shadows. "Take your time, slave. Just have the entrance open by the time I finish killing your new master."

Syn's lips curled up into a tight, cold smile, her eyes becoming a golden red as her power coalesced around her. "I was wondering where you were. Your remarkably predictable."

He looked at the beast that snapped its teeth together and then at the acolyte whose eyes had become chilling, glowing with a power he hadn't realized she had. But it didn't matter. He would kill her or he would die. There was no other outcome…and he intended to be the victor. "My passions run deeper than yours. I am the true essence of what it is to be sith. My legacy has suffered long enough. After today. You will be forgotten. It ends here and now!"

She blasted him and he rolled over and back onto his feet, charging at her. She jumped, flipping in the air, adding to the momentum as she brought her warblade down over the top of him. His warblade came up in time to block, but the power of her drive had nearly sent him to his knees. She tested his weaknesses, in his stance, his movements, his knowledge of swordsmanship techniques. She kept her blade turning, relentless, not giving him a chance to think about his next move. She controlled the battle…and she toyed with him.

A cold smile formed on her lips. "I'm done playing with you, Vemrin." She used the force to grab him by his neck, squeezing until the warblade slipped from his grip. He did what many sith failed to do…he concentrated on his throat instead of his next move. She held her blade out and yanked him to her. The warblade sank into his belly. She pulled the blade out and let his body fall to the hard, stone floor.

"It would seem I missed your heart. Pity that. Would you like some bacta?" she asked with a cocked brow. She was hoping, if he were wounded, he would finally give up.

One his knees and one hand, he covered his wound, trying to staunch the flow of blood. He lifted his gaze to meet hers, her eyes blue once more. "Being Baras' apprentice was my destiny. Did I come this far and overcome such adversity, only to be proven unworthy?"

"You fought well, Vemrin. But…the sith have enough black hearts in their ranks. There is no room for growth in a vacuum of hate. The sith must change if we are to survive. I ask you again, do you want some bacta?"

"Shut up!" He growled. "There is only victory or death. I refuse to live a…lesser life. Finish me. I will not accept mercy!

"Ah…but killing you quickly would be a mercy over letting you slowly bleed out or having other acolytes toy with your dying body, seeing how much pain they can make you suffer before the end. But, never fear, Vemrin, I will show you the mercy you were incapable of showing to others." With that, she swung her warblade at his neck, the neck and stump both steaming as they parted ways.

Vette clapped her hands briefly, tickled by how the sith handled Vemrin. "Wow. Nice work – and I love how you threw mercy back in his face. I think I could come to like you," she teased the sith.

"I did rather enjoy that," she acknowledged with a smile. "Now, about the forbidden cavern?

"Oh! Right! Give me a sec," Vette said as she darted up the stairs and started depressing stone mechanisms.

There was a grinding of stone on stone and the statues guarding the cavern's entrance turned to face each other and then pulled back, sliding the door open as they moved. "Thank you, Vette. You have been most helpful."

Few masters ever bothered to thank their slaves. "It's nice to be acknowledged for a change."

Syn nodded and then motioned to the droids she could see within. "Looks like the fight isn't over yet."

Vette unholstered her blasters and twirled them. "Ready when you are."

They cut through the droids lining the path and reached a large, inner sanctum that had a multitude of bowing statues on either side of the central isle. Shades flitted about between the statues, but she ignored their presence. It was like some kind of religious cult worship scene frozen forever in stone. Down the aisle, at the top of the dais was a sarcophagus situated below a massive statue of a sith long dead.

"Whoa…this isn't creepy at all," Vette proclaimed in a strained voice. "I think I'll stay back here.

"I am uneasy too, Vette. Something is not right in here." She moved down the aisle, one row of statues faced the aisle on each side. One statue on each end of the rows had its head bent in offering. The four in the middle of each row stood tall. Behind the single rows lining the aisle, were a great many statues facing forward, bowing towards much larger statues.

At the top of the stairs, she used her power to force open the sarcophagus. Within lay the bones of an ancient sith, Naga Sadow. She gingerly slipped the lightsaber out of the skeleton's hands without touching the bones.

Once in her hand, she tested its weight before igniting it. After a few practice swings, she snapped it to her magbelt. Before she could walk away, a purple haze rose from the dead sith and shot down into the stone statues that faced the aisle she'd walked through. The statues shattered; undead guardians jumped down from short wall they were standing on.

"I told you this place was creepy!" Vette shouted from the rooms entrance as she pulled her blasters.

Every time they took the entities down, the shade jumped to another set of statues to take their place. When the eighth fell, she looked around at the other statues to see if they, too, were coming to life to kill her. She let her gaze pass through the enraged sith shade that had done its best to defend its resting place. "We are done here."

The return trip was much easier. She saw other acolytes, this time they did not attack. Enough blood had been spilled this day. But unfortunately, even more was spilled outside of Bara's chambers. Eskella brought two men to attack her for killing her father. She had not wanted to kill the woman, but nor would she betray Tremel and herself by admitting the man still lived.

She shook off the frustration of needless deaths and entered Baras' rooms.

Baras lifted a hand to his chest. She had succeeded in something no one else had been able to do. "I am beside myself. Not only did you get the twi'lek to cooperate, but you completed an impossible task and claimed the ancient lightsaber. Vemrin was not in my chamber as I instructed. I take it he sought to stop you and claim the ancient weapon as his own?"

Her brow lifted. "He tried and failed. Vemrin was nothing if not consistent," she retorted dryly.

"Bravo. I see you may indeed become on of the strongest sith in the galaxy." It galled him that Tremel had been right about that, even if he wasn't right about the reason for secreting her here. "You are now my apprentice. This is the beginning for us both. With you as my right hand, we shall strike fear into the Empire's enemies. I must convene with the Emperor and inform him of your progress." He held a pass out to her. "This shuttle pass will take you to Dromund Kaas. Meet me at the Citadel there."

The Emperor? Wonderful her new master was insane. No matter, for now, she needed him. "Do give the Emperor my regards."

Baras nodded. "I'm sure he will be pleased. Take the twi'lek slave as my gift. Do with her as you will."

She gave a slight bow and left his chambers. "Don't say it," she whispered to Vette. "For now, we will just play along. Crazy or not, right now I need him."

"Better you than me," Vette retorted with a choked giggle.

On their way to the shuttle, Vette saw a stone slide into her master's path. When the sith stumbled forward, she saw a large Blood shoot a bolt of lightning at her as he passed by, she felt a hum through her slave collar and then it went quiet. She winked at him and mouthed a thank you as she hurried to her master's side. "Are you okay?"

Syn brushed the hair out of her face and tossed the stone with a wave of power. She looked around, but didn't notice anyone giving her undue attention. That rock had simply not been there before. "It would seem someone is playing games I don't have time for. I want to leave this hellscape behind and hope I don't have to ever return."

"Ditto," Vette agreed.

-BREAK THREE-

As they climbed the ramp and entered the shuttle, two people chose to leave rather than be anywhere near Pim. In all fairness, Pim was looking a little hungry. The shuttle took them to the Black Talon. Baras had assured she had her own room with two beds.

The Black Talon was no luxury liner; and it certainly didn't appear to cater to passengers. A basic transport at best. With little to do during the days, Vette had taught her a number of card games. She learned really quick not to make large wagers against Vette. The twi'lek was crafty with cards and gambling in general, while she, herself, had no claims to even being passably good.

Shortly after a fuel stop, an officer stopped her after leaving the galley.

Sylas gave a slight bow to the sith. "My lord, I'm Lieutenant Sylas, second-in-command of the Black Talon. I wanted to alert you that your droid boarded during our refueling stop."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, lieutenant, there has been some mistake. I do not own a droid."

"Oh?" Sylas asked in surprise. "My apologies, my lord. The machine asked for you, so I assumed you were its owner. In any case, it seems someone wants to get in touch. The conference room is down the hall; I'll be on the bridge."

"I don't think it's Baras," she told Vette when the soldier was out of earshot, "he would have used a communicator – my family as well. This is odd, let's go check it out."

NR-02 looked up to see the sith approaching and scanned her. "Identity confirmed. Good day, I am advanced protocol unit NR-02. My functions are diplomacy, translation, manslaughter and calumniation. I have an urgent message for you from my master. Please stand by. This is unit NR-02 to Grand Moff Kilran. You are now in contact with the Black Talon."

A large, scarred man's projection appeared over the holo-table. "Well – so I am. And it seems you've brought me just the person I needed to speak to. My name is Rycus Kilran. I'm commander of the Fifth Fleet, second to the minister of War, and – my all-time favorite – the so-called "Butcher of Coruscant."

"Congratulations on all of your titles, Rycus Kilran, but it does not explain what it has to do with me. Why have you sought me out?"

"it's apparent I need another set of hands. So, I had NR-02 board the Black Talon and locate you. Six hours ago, the Republic engaged in an illegal border skirmish on the edges of Imperial territory. One enemy warship escaped. That warship – the Brentaal Star – is carrying a passenger of vital strategic importance. Yours is the only vessel placed to intercept."

"Who is this passenger that is of dire importance?"

"The warships passenger is code-named the general. We don't know his identity, but the Republic believes he possesses military secrets – our military secrets. I trust the reports. The general must be captured or killed. Captain Orzik – the man commanding your transport – doesn't share my enthusiasm. He's disobeyed my orders to attack."

"As well he should. He was ordered to delivery me to Dromund Kaas. What you are wanting him to do will delay my arrival…over a passenger you know nothing about. That is unacceptable, Moff Kilran."

Kilran's hands slipped behind his back. "The general will be dead or in custody by day's end. If he's not, I assure you – your ship will never reach port."

Her hand shot out and began close, using the force to close the Moff's throat. "Do not ever threaten my life again, you arrogant little worm." Her hand closed tighter. "You do not demand I do something. You do not threaten if you don't get your way. If you want me to do something for you, clear it with Darth Baras first. If he consents, then you ask me nicely or don't ask at all. Have I made myself clear, Moff Kilran?"

"Ye-es…"

She released her hold and retrieved her communicator. "Sorry to interrupt your affairs, Darth Baras, but _Grand_ Moff Kilran threatened my life if I did not do as he demanded. I showed him the error of his misjudgment."

"That is as it should be, apprentice. Does he live?" Baras inquired.

"He does. I am to assume he will think twice before threatening an apprentice's life in the future. He has _requested_ my assistance. He wants me to commandeer this ship and go after a Rep ship by the name of the Brentaal Star. He believes there is an Imperial defector or traitor on board and wants him captured or killed. It will, however, delay my arrival to Dromund Kaas."

"He is lucky I do not kill him for his impertinence," Baras growled. "I will contact Moff Kilran concerning his handling of this situation in a bit. For now, you may attend to the traitor. You have portrayed yourself well, my apprentice."

She slipped the communicator back into her pocket and looked at the Moff, who was still rubbing his throat. "I will adjourn the bridge. I'm sure your droid will keep you well informed."

"I will lead the way." NR-02 informed her. "Once Captain Orzik is deposed and our hijacking is complete, we may proceed to the Brentaal Star."

They came to a stop when soldiers and a barrier blocked their progression to the bridge.

"Please move aside immediately," the lieutenant ordered. He frowned when she continued to approach. "Halt, my lord. This is a restricted area – the command deck entry hatch. No one's allowed in until we reach our destination. You'll have to leave immediately."

"Do not do this. There is no reason for you to die today," she warned.

He stiffened. He did not want to fight a sith, but an order was an order. "Our orders were to treat any approach as an attack. You need to take your droid…and your beast and move it!"

"Then you leave me no choice." She ignited her lightsaber and threw it at the lead soldier that stood in her way. It sliced through his neck and returned to her hand. When they were dispatched, she could see the soldiers further down and knew it would mean a fight to bridge. Needless, senseless death. She should have killed Moff Kilran and been done with this waste of time and life.

They stormed down the aisle, taking out anyone that did not give way. Her anger building with each death. By the time she reached the captain, she wanted nothing more than toss him and Kilran on the same pyre and watch them burn. At least…until she met the captain. They spoke at length and the captain proved himself to be an amiable fellow with a sound head on his shoulders. In the end, he agreed to go after the Brentaal Star.

"Emerging from hyperspace now. A Thranta-class warship on the scanners. Powering up…" Ensign Hetter warned the captain.

"Enemy is firing! Turbolasers, missiles…and what looks like transport pods," Another warned.

"Evasive maneuvers!" the captain ordered. "Keep the pods at a distance – they look harmless, but they'll latch on the hull and cut at us with sabotage droids."

"Sir, three shuttles on an intercept course!"

"I'll handle the boarders," she said without thought.

Orzik nodded. "Security, such that it is, will meet you at the entrance to the shuttle bay. Defend the ship at all costs – and we'll get you to the Brentaal Star."

After leaving the bridge, the ship shuddered under her feet.

"Warning: Secondary power systems damaged. Nonessential systems may be inoperable," the ship's computer warned.

They took the elevator down to the cargo bay. Republic troops were filing in and the death toll was rising. None were willing to surrender and either injured or dead, they were eventually all neutralized.

"This is the captain. If you can hear this, we need you on the bridge."

Well damn, she'd been hoping to take one of the Rep shuttles over to their own ship. They took the elevator back up to the bridge.

"Please stand alert. Grand Moff Kilran's representative has returned," NR-02 informed the bridge.

Orzik turned to face the sith. "I see you took care of the Republic assault. Welcome back to the bridge."

"Thank you, captain."

He nodded. "We survived the first wave of attacks from the Brentaal Star. Things will be calm until we enter fighter range – another minute…maybe two."

"Transmission coming in! Long range…it's a message, but it's not from the Brentaal Star," Brukarra informed the sith.

"Put it through, ensign," she told him. A woman with braided hair appeared on the holocommunicator.

Satele slipped her hands behind her back. "This is Jedi Grand Master Satele Shan hailing unidentified Imperial vessel. I'm en route to your location with sixteen Republic vessels. I'm asking you to retreat before more lives are lost."

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Syn-fae Jinn, apprentice to Darth Baras and in command of this vessel."

Satele had not expected manners in a sith. "I'm glad to hear a voice of reason. Let us end this conflict together. The Brentaal Star is under my protection. Our convoy was ambushed and I sent the Star ahead. We will reunite. I just crippled three Imperial dreadnaughts. I don't wish to destroy you – the peace between the Republic and the Empire is fragile already."

"I am aware of that and I cannot condone the needless loss of life on either side. So, you see, that leaves me in a quandary. I cannot leave without the general. Tell the Brentaal Star to hand over the Imperial defector and we will leave in peace."

A sith who did not want to destroy everything in her path? If only more sith believed as she did. It was unfortunate they could not work together. For the sith to change, they needed people like the young apprentice. If there had only been another way. "I'm afraid I cannot comply. The general has a role to play in the Republic," Satele explained, her tone undeniably somber.

"I'm sure his intel on the Empire would be most advantageous to the Republic. It is unfortunate we could not reach an accord. I bear you nor the Brentaal Star any ill will, but I cannot leave without the general. May the force be with you, Grand Master. End transmission."

"Affirmative. Ending transmission," Brukarra stated.

"Entering fighter range," Hetter warned. "The Brentaal Star is launching its first squadron."

Orzik sighed. So, let it be. "It's time for us to do the same. I assume you'll be going to the starboard hangar and lead the boarding party to go after the general?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Stay safe, everyone."

With that, she left the bridge and boarded the shuttle in the starboard hangar bay. She wasn't sure how they were able to slide under the radar and slip into the Star's hangar bay. But they were here and it was time for her to take care of the business at hand.

There were a few Reps in the bay, but they had not expected to be boarded and that gave her boarding party the advantage. Once they left the hangar bay behind, it was obvious the Star was taking on damage as well. They passed random fires as they fought through the resistance.

Her communicator chimed, but she had to wait for a break in fighting to answer it. When she had a moment, she flipped it on. "What do you need NR-02?"

"I've been scanning the Brentaal Star's communications, and security forces appear to be moving to protect the escape pods. It is extremely likely that the crew is attempting to evacuate the general. You must retrieve or eliminate him before he escapes."

"I appreciate the update, but I know what I must do," she said tightly. She deactivated the communicator and dropped it back into her pocket.

Vette snorted. "The droid's a bit much, don't you think?"

"Oh, I think," Syn agreed. "Maybe I'll shock his bolts when I get back."

"Wish I could do that," Vette muttered.

Syn synced her MT to the ships database and pulled up a schematic of the ship. "That's where we need to go. No time to waste. We won't survive if the Grand Master's fleet catches up to us."

As far as she could tell, no one stood down. They'd had to carve a path through the transport deck to reach the elevator to the engine deck.

Resistance grew heavier as they approached the escape pods. Was the general so bloody important that it was worth the cost of so many lives? In truth, he wasn't important enough to her for this kind of death. If she failed then everyone on the Black Talon would die. It was she who forced them to be here. And only she could save them. It wasn't lost on her that she could have refused the Moff and gone straight to Dromund Kaas. It is what she should have done. The weight of these deaths was on her. Now, she could only try to save as many as she could. So far, she'd been able to save a few of the Reps by using her power to propel them into rooms and locking them in.

Before they could walk through, the door in front of them closed and locked. That would not keep her out. She closed her eyes and drew the force into her. When it burned like fire in her veins, her hands shot out, the wave of power slammed into the door and sent it skittering across the ship's deck.

Yadira held out her hand. "Halt where you are. I am Yadira Ban, padawan of the Jedi Order. I was sent to protect the general, and you will not pass."

Padawan…so that was the stupid word. It was not a strong word. It reminded her of a baby in swaddling clothes, though she didn't know why. "I am Syn-fae Jinn, apprentice of the Sith Order. I was sent to retrieve the general. I did not want any of this to happen, but nor can I leave without him. Indeed, I must pass."

Yadira shook her head and stood firm. "I cannot do that. A jedi does not surrender the innocent into the hands of evil. I intend to drive you back – just as the Republic pushed the Sith Empire into the dark of the galaxy," she proclaimed with conviction.

Syn admired the conviction and spunk of the jedi. "That is very poetic. I like your spirit. It is unfortunate that I will have to extinguish it – in another time, I would think we could have been friends. Is there no way we can end this peacefully?"

Was this sith for real? No, she would not be distracted by pretty words. "Unless you retreat, then there can be no peace." She launched herself at the sith.

The jedi was talented and even managed to knock her and Vette on their asses a few times. But Pim was relentless and a great distraction. In the end, the twi'lek fell, but Syn felt no pride in her death. After the jedi, there were only a handful of men standing between her and the man that could only be the general. She respected the troops who fought even though they knew they would not survive. But she would have preferred they run and hide than earn her respect.

The general closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. So many lives lost in protecting him. "You can put aside your weapons, I won't try to run." Not that he could if he wanted to.

"How did you get hurt?" she enquired.

"Unlucky," he said with a shrug and then groaned as pain engulfed him. "I was caught in your ship's attack. I'm told the wounds aren't fatal, but that doesn't make it hurt any less." His breath hitched. "I was a general in the Imperial military service. Did they tell you that when they sent you? Did they even know?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head "- only that they were told someone intended to spill secrets. Why did you betray the Empire?"

"If you knew what I knew, you'd understand. If you heard what both sides are plotting, you wouldn't be eager to restart this war."

"You are wrong about me, general. Just because I'm sith, doesn't mean I want war. All this death is a waste. I want peace for both sides. There has to be a way to co-exist."

He shook his head slowly. "It's too late. They're building doomsday weapons. Shields that envelope planets; missiles that darken suns. Republic and Empire are planning to raze worlds – annihilate civilizations. It will be unlike anything the galaxy's seen since the Great Hyperspace War. And it's too late to stop it – the so-called peace is already lost."

"If both sides are will be responsible for this, then why defect to the Republic?"

"There's no place for me in the Empire anymore. I though my last act might be to even the odds – create a stalemate. But it is a moot point now. What will you do with me?" he asked, not really caring at this point. His life was forfeit regardless.

"You'll be transported back to Dromund Kaas and taken into Imperial custody," she explained.

He sighed. It was as he figured. "Where I will be tortured or executed, or – at best – placed in a cell for the rest of my life…"

"I know…" she muttered to herself as the guards hauled the general away. He had made his bed, there was nothing she could or would do about it. She could only hope his dire prediction of the future never came true.

She found a holoterminal outside the hangar deck and commed the Black Talon. The captain took her com.

"Captain Orzik here. I understand you're on your way back - I assume congratulations are in order. Our marines will be recalled back to the Black Talon. As soon as you are aboard, we'll jump to lightspeed – Republic reinforcements could arrive any minute."

"Understood," she said with a nod. "Prepare a holding cell, we are bringing a prisoner."

"I'm sure the droid and Grand Moff Kilran will be pleased to have the general alive. I'll see you on the bridge. Congratulations again – Orzik out."

Her shuttle evacuated first, the marines' shuttle following suit. When they hit the hanger, she was out and hurrying towards the bridge. Now was not the time to dawdle.

The feeling on the bridge was decidedly more chipper than the last time she'd been there. The captain ordered them to lightspeed as soon she'd hit the bridge. Once they were safely away, they managed to exchange some pleasantries before Kilran commed them.

There was a distinct air of discomfort during her conversation with the Grand Moff. But he was contrite and even apologized again for his lack of manners on their previous com. He seemed as relieved as she when their com came to an end.

Dirty, hungry and tired, she took her leave from the bridge and returned to her quarters to freshen up and didn't leave them until they arrived on Dromund Kaas. Not even to eat. She wasn't sure how Vette did it, but the twi'lek always came back with the choicest of food, at least for the transport they were on, and even pilfered raw meat from the galley for Pim.

-BREAK FOUR-

By the time they docked at the Dromund Kaas spacestation, she was more than ready to leave the ship. She wanted real food – a real bed – and a real honest-to-goodness shower rather than just a sani-clean field. There is nothing like hot, stinging drops warming your skin and tenderizing your muscles.

She stretched when she stepped out of the airlock. It made little sense as she had plenty of room onboard the ship, but perhaps akin to freedom. Once again, several of those that were on the shuttle she boarded for the surface chose to leave and wait for the next shuttle rather than fly down with Pim. She sniffed, but he still smelled clean from their last sani-clean. She shrugged, trying not to grin when she saw Vette petting Pim.

They were met by one of Baras' slaves after they used a terminal to clear their visit to the planet. He essentially told them to look around before going to Baras' chambers at the Sith Sanctum. Good enough, then she would see him tomorrow, because it was already heading towards sunset.

As they left the port, the jungle opened up in front of them. "Welcome to Dromund Kaas, where freedom goes to die and legends are forced on the galaxy," Vette scoffed dryly. She wasn't sure how Syn felt about the place, but it was actually worse that Korriban for her. Korriban was full of wannabe siths and a lot of them died. Boo-hoo. But here… here they dominated. Here they became monsters before they were unleashed. Would Syn become a monster too? For now, she could only watch and wait and hope.

"Not a fan, eh?" she asked as they walked over to the speeder pad. The slaves. "Right. There are a lot of slaves on Dromund Kaas and a lot of bloated egos that make mine look like joke. I can see it hasn't changed since the last time I was here." She rented two speeders. The face mask under the seat sealed to the front of her face. "Let's get to the sanctum. I want to locate our room and then we can go grab something to eat."

Vette had expected to get zapped for sure with that loose-lipped comment. Or at least she thought she'd have to pretend to be zapped. For a big, bad sith, Syn continued to surprise her. She didn't even mind that they had to fly slow so that Pim could keep up with them. Feeling the wind race along her lekku was an exhilarating sense of freedom, despite the malfunctioning shock collar.

When they arrived at the sanctum, Syn checked to obtain her room number. She was disappointed when she found it only held one bed, but discovered the sofa pulled out into another bed, though she wasn't sure if it would be any more comfortable for Vette than actually sleeping on the sofa. She shrugged; it wasn't her concern. She flipped on her holocommunicator and commed her mother.

"Rael! It's our baby!" She smiled at her daughter. "I'm so proud of you! The academy commed as soon as you became an apprentice! Megs' smile slipped. "It's unfortunate you got that toadie, Baras – but you won't need him for very long."

"So…I take you know he's er…soft in the head?"

She laughed at her daughter's choice of words. "You mean crazy as a bantha on creetian berries? "

Rael-kai grunted as he moved in closer to his wife's communicator. "And damned near as big as one!"

She couldn't see her father, but it was nice to hear his voice. "Hi, dad. Good to hear you." Her parents didn't live the typical life of sith. They ruled a self-sustaining planet that had been in her father's family for generations and they were happy with the lives they led. So, yes…if the truth were known, she was actually princess, so to speak, and that was why the use of the name didn't offend her, even if they used it in a deriding manner.

"I'm going to tell her, Megs. I can't hold it back any longer! We have a surprise for you, baby! Towards the end of your stay at the lower academy, I had a ship commissioned for you. The Dusky Pearl. She's on her maiden voyage to Dromund Kaas right now!"

"And, baby," Megs cut in, "Your slave, Bree's onboard. Davor's with her, but he'll return to us after you take possession of your new ship. Your cabin's closet is full, love. Nothing but the best for our baby girl!"

"_A new ship?" _she mouthed to Vette, her grin spreading from ear to ear. "I can't believe you've done this for me! I mean – you never mentioned it. Either of you. I'm stunned."

"That's the point of a secret, baby." Megs lifted her finger to her mouth. "Not to tell." She grinned and nudged her husband with her elbow. "I honestly thought your father would cave. He loves spoiling you to pieces, darling.

"Of course I do," he glared mockingly at his wife. "She's daddy's little girl."

"Ok, you two…your embarrassing me in front of Vette. Baras gave her to me and I'd rather she not think I'm a prissy little miss," Syn pointed out.

Vette darted over to get a closer look at the woman in the holo. "Hi, mom and pops! Oh, do keep embarrassing her – it's way too much fun."

"Nope," Syn spit out before her parents could say anything more. "She's going to hear enough from Bree – she does not need to hear my embarrassing childhood mishaps from you too."

"Your no fun," Vette poo-pooed before plopping down on the soft sofa. She moaned. This was heaven.

"Thank you and I love you both, but I need to go for now before Pim decides Vette's as appealing as a rump roast."

"Hey!" Vette cried out. "My rump isn't that big or juicy!"

"I think your slaves are going to get along well together. Comm us soon, darling. We love you." Megs blew her daughter a kiss and cut the holofeed.

She snapped the communicator to her golden magbelt. "We're getting a ship! I can't wait until she arrives. And I can't wait to see Bree." She felt as giddy as a schoolgirl with her first crush. She cleared her throat. "Let's grab something to eat and forget my gleeful silliness."

"Not on your life, sith. It is good to see you happy once in a while," Vette admitted as she followed her master out the door of their quarters.

She frowned. "I'm happy."

"That frown on your face could have fooled me," Vette retorted.

She blinked and pursed her lips to keep them from frowning. She paid for an extra-large taxi for Pim and took it to Kaas City. "Your right," she admitted to Vette. "I was happy on Dolryn. That's the planet my parents' rule. Beautiful planet, extraordinary life. But I couldn't remain a pampered child forever. No. that's wrong. I could have. They probably would have preferred it. But I suppose I wanted to fallow in their footsteps."

"Become a sith and then find some planet to rule?" Vette quipped with giggle she tried to hide behind her hand.

She wrinkled her nose at the twi'lek. "Become a sith. See what's out there in the galaxy. I've been sheltered all my life – until the academies. I want to taste the galaxy before I retire an rule in a lap of luxury."

"Must be nice," the twi'lek chided. "I followed in my parents' footsteps too. And look at me, I'm still a slave. Woo-hoo. Good one, Vette."

Maybe she shouldn't be harping on how great she had it to someone who's had a lifetime of slavery. That had been unfeeling of her. "As long as you're with me, you'll never want for anything."

Yeah, but she'd still be a slave. "Just so you know – the galaxy tastes like ass."

Syn shuddered as they walked into the Nexus cantina. "I don't even want to imagine how you know that."

Vetted choked over a laugh and then grinned. "No, you don't. You really don't." And that's all she was going to say about it.

After Vette took the last bite from the plate, she pushed it away and groaned as she leaned back against the chair. "I can't even remember when I last ate a nerf steak. Do you always feed your slaves this well?" she asked, giving her master a lazy look.

That was an odd thing to say. "Am I not supposed to? Bree always ate with me – unless dignitaries showed up. The rest of the slaves ate in the kitchen. Still, they ate the same meals we did." She cocked a brow. "Would you feel more comfortable with bread and water?" she teased.

"Slap me in a cage and I'll feel right at home." Vette pursed her lips, but nothing would keep the question from being asked. "What's up with your eyes? Most sith have either freaky glowy eyes or normal eyes. You're the only sith I've ever seen bounce between the two."

Syn absently fed Pim what was left on her plate by dropping it into his mouth. "Am I? I suppose it's because I don't keep the force tethered to me. Keeping it balled up and writhing inside you is hard on your body. It can allow you to use it on a moment's notice, giving that sith a slight edge, but I've been training since I was a child to draw the force like you would draw a blaster. The more you do it, the faster you get at it. If I pull heavily from the force, my eyes change color and revert when I release my hold. Releasing my hold also releases a bit of my own energy into the force, thus it becomes a give and take rather than the enslavement of the force that is normal for a sith." She shuddered. "Have you seen what raping the force does to a sith? No thank you. I'm far too pretty to want to look like a monster."

"Anyone ever tell you you're vain?"

"Only a time or ten. But it's not like I can hide the truth. And I'm not going to play some simpering denial act. If I act the fool, it will not be intentionally."

"Fair enough," Vette replied with an agreeable nod. She supposed if she was an ethereal beauty, it would be silly to deny it. Then again, if she was prettier, she'd have been forced into a life on her back rather than learning something worthwhile.

"Come on, I'm grabbing a bottle of Corellian Red and we are going to have a nightcap before we go to bed."

Vette sighed in bliss. "You say the most endearing things."

With wine in hand, they returned to Syn's quarters, watched a vid and drank wine until sleep called them to bed.

Come morning, she spent a fair amount of time in the shower, scrubbing both herself and Pim down. She used the Sani-clean on her protective clothing and then she, Vette and Pim ate a quick breakfast in the apprentice dining hall before heading up to see Darth Baras.

Baras looked up from his datapad when his apprentice entered his chamber. "Not a moment too soon. Your timing is impeccable."

Vette looked around the room and shivered. "Did it just get considerably colder?"

Baras shifted his hands behind his back, barely giving the slave a glance. "I see you decided to keep the slave. I hope she amuses you. I trust you've been acquainting yourself with your new environs? Did my minion point you in the right direction?"

"He performed his duties well," she told him.

Baras nodded. "A properly beaten-down slave is the only trustworthy creature in the galaxy."

The idiot. That they would have to agree to disagree on. But before Syn could say anything, Baras' monologue continued.

"Your responsibilities will mandate contact with my various minions. Meet my directives, and you may do as you will to anyone you encounter, adversary or ally." He lifted his hand. "Do not be too quick to kill either. I hope you understand that the most powerful weapon in a sith's arsenal is information. I have painstakingly built a vast network of spies and operatives embedded throughout the sith. Republic and jedi alike. I have fingers, eyes and ears everywhere."

Syn cocked a brow. "So, which am I to be – a finger, an eye or an ear?"

His pulled his shoulders back. "You're my enforcer – deployed to protect my interests, intimidate my rivals, and destroy my enemies. It's time for your tenure to begin. A military starship is touching down at the Kaas City cargo port 87, delivering a vitally important prisoner to me. You will meet Commander Lanklyn there and make sure he and his men successfully off-load this prisoner.

"The importance of this prisoner cannot be overstated. Go to the cargo port now and stay sharp. You are dismissed."

She inclined her head to him and motioned to Vette with slight jerk of her head that they were going. They took a taxi to the Kaas City Central taxi. When they reached CP87, they took the elevator to the hangar bay.

In the bay, she saw a higher ranked military man dictating instructions to underlings.

Lanklyn snapped his boot heels together. "All right, men, let's hurry up and get this hunk of carbonite to its owner."

Vette held her hand up to one side of her mouth. "Hey! Captain oblivious – boo!"

Lanklyn spun around, spotting the sith and the twi'lek and…the beast. "Oh, I – I didn't see you enter. Lord Baras didn't need to send a welcoming party. My men and I have performed far more dangerous duties for him than this. The prisoner is frozen in carbonite, so he's not a flight risk – and this is friendly territory. Surly we are safe here."

"Safe here? Where it's every sith for themselves? No, commander, sith interests are…complicated."

He tapped the heals of his boots together. While he may not agree, he would hold his tongue. "Yes, my lord. Whatever you say. Let's get this oversized block to your master."

Syn stiffened when she felt the presence of others approaching. She spun and ignited her lighsaber. A low-life thug came towards her, blaster aimed.

"Not so fast," Slestack ordered. "My master wants that block of ice. So, step away from the carbonite man and no one ends up in the grave."

"Is that so?" Syn mocked. "I'm afraid your master is going to be disappointed."

His hard eyes narrowed on the pretty little thing. "Perhaps I didn't make myself plainly clear. I'm here to relieve you of your burden. Whether that includes your own lives as well, is up to you."

TuMarr grunted. "Lookie, lookie. If it ain't Slestack. Your master be wanting the frozen man too, huh? Too bad for you – it mine."

Syn tapped her foot on the ground. "Friend of yours?" She asked Slestack. This could end up working in her favor.

"Not likely," Slestack sneered. "To know TuMarr is to hate TuMarr."

"That go true for you too, Slestack. If you don't flee, this be like killing two stone with one bird," TuMarr retorted. Scrawny little human always under foot.

Lanklyn's hand wrested on his blaster. "I'm such a fool. I'll never doubt you again. What do we do?"

"Let this play out," she returned quietly.

"Go home, TuMarr. You and your lackies are hardly worth my time," Slestack told ugly houk with a flip of his hair.

TuMarr pointed at Slestack. "You mouth get you in trouble. It about to chew off mor than it can chew."

She turned to look at Slestack. "Is that true?" she asked him.

"Very funny." He shrugged. "I do relish the opportunity to rid the world of TuMarr and his drones. So, I'll be with you presently, instigator."

She grinned for a moment, while she watched the two bands of thugs shoot it out. She sighed and gave half her attention to the commander and nodded.

"Well done!" Lanklyn proclaimed with a slight bow to her. "While they fight, my men and I will deliver the prisoner to Lord Baras. Thank you for buying us time, my lord."

She kept the commander and his men under surveillance until they'd reached the sanctum. Then she led Vette to a merchant store and bought them both a couple of bags and outfits each, along with sleep-wear.

Vette wondered if the sith would ever stop surprising her. She ran her fingers over the purchases, the fabric soft and silky to the touch. It wouldn't replace her protective gear, but it wasn't for that purpose. There was a dress and pantsuit and heels and flats. Belts, lacy underclothing, jewelry – nothing she'd ever really thought about getting for herself. But they'd felt heavenly when she'd tried them on. "You continue to surprise me. I've never worn anything like this before in my life."

"Every woman deserves to feel special once in a while. Bree and I…I'm sorry. I know you're not her, but doing this sort of thing with you brings back good memories."

"Bree is lucky. I've never felt very special before. I – you know, maybe being given to you has made me lucky too," Vette admitted to herself as well as a sith. She still wanted to be free – but for now, she was content…and that surprised her.

She shrugged. "Maybe so," though she'd never considered that. She treated the twi'lek how she'd always treated Bree and thought nothing of it. "Tonight, we're going out dancing."

They dropped their packages off and returned to Baras.

Baras felt the approach of his apprentice. Her power in the force was unmistakable. "Lanklyn informed me of the ambush at the cargo port. Apparently, there are even more eyes on us than I thought." He paced before his carbonite prisoner. "I have felt a disturbance in the force. It leaves doom imprinted on my dreams – a grave and mysterious threat that could bring down my power base." He stopped and slapped the carbonite. "This frozen man is a top Republic agent, captured while investigating my most deeply imbedded spy on Nar Shaddaa – one of my _invisibles_." He tapped his steepled fingers together. "The force grants me a vision of doom, and immediately, my untraceable spy – who has left no footprints, no trail – is almost exposed." His hands tightened into fists. "It makes me furious."

"Are you sure it is more than coincidence?" She did not feel the disturbance he was talking about. Maybe because it didn't affect her or maybe it was because she was the future disturbance he felt. Then again, maybe it was insanity filling his mind full of imaginings.

He looked at his apprentice for a moment in thought but then shook his head. "It is not coincidence. I can feel it." He turned to look at the frozen man. "I must learn what tipped off the Republic agent. He is the key to uncovering the nature of this threat. Now, while I thaw the prisoner out and painfully siphon every morsel of information I can from him, I have some concerns that require your special talents."

Vette rolled her eyes. "No rest for the wicked, I guess." Would they still be going out dancing tonight? She was afraid she didn't want to know the answer to that.

He sent a brief glance at the slave. Her words were truer than she realized. "Go to the Imperial post in the jungles outside the city. Commander Pritch is stationed there. I need you to assist him in a seek-and-destroy task. "Waste no time. I have more for you to do once this is complete. You are dismissed."

They took speeders to the post and managed to locate Pritch, thanks to a trooper's assistance. That was when she'd learned about the slave rebellion and couldn't help but wonder if a sith had their hand in establishing the rebellion as a part of a much larger plot or power play. She choked back a laugh when she found it Baras was behind it. The slave captains were blackmailing him and he wanted it taken care of. Pritch let her know that the captains were actually selling the freed slaves back into slavery.

She grinned. "Blackmailing the blackmailers. Deviously poetic. I like it."

Pritch nodded. "sounds good, my lord. I'll await any proof you salvage from the slave captain's belongings."

She avoided as many slaves as possible. Even though Baras was responsible for the rebellion, slave lives mattered. She finally found the information she needed pilfering through the leaders' trunks and hurried back to Pritch.

His brows rose in surprise. She was back sooner than he'd expected. "My lord, you're back. Did you find sufficient proof that the slave captains are selling their people back into slavery?"

She pulled out the datapads with a grin. "The captains kept log books," she said as she handed them over to the commander.

He glanced down at the datapad – this couldn't be any more perfect. He tucked the datapads into his satchel. "Most impressive, my lord! I can see why Lord Baras has such faith in you. Now I can threaten to expose the truth. If the slave captains don't want to be torn limb from limb," he said as he ground a fist into his palm, "they'll stop blackmailing Lord Baras. I must say, my lord, it's been inspiring to watch you work."

She doubted he'd seen anything from where he stood. What he liked were the results, not how she did it. "You've been very helpful, commander."

"Thank you, my lord. I'm pleased to hear that. I'll inform Lord Baras that the situation has been handled," he said with a small bow.

She straddled her speeder. "It's not quite lunch time yet, so we might as well find out what the next big to-do is that we were supposed to hurry back for."

It started raining. "Oh great! Another shower. With my clothes on, no less." Vette groused. "Yippee."

They dropped the speeders off near the sanctum, and as they walked through the entry, they were dry once more, thanks to the drying field in place. Vette was grateful she didn't have hair when she saw Syn frantically combing her fingers through her long dark blond – or was it light brown tresses, trying to tame the fluffy mass that fell down her back. Caramel. That was the color of her hair. She groaned. And now she was hungry.

Baras wasn't tucked away in his office this time, no. He was in the main room, the prisoner thawed and had obviously been tortured, holo-strapped down to a table designed for just that purpose.

Grik glared at the sith. "I -I don't care what you do. Break my bones, burn my flesh – I'll tell you nothing!" If he had even the slightest bit of moisture left in his mouth, he'd have spit on the fat Dark Lord.

Baras responded to the irritating claim with a burst of lightning from his fingertips. "I will not be denied!"

Grik's body contorted with the flow of the current, straining against the holobands that held him in place. "M-m-monster..." He managed to get out before another blast hit him, silencing him its jaw gritting power.

Vetted cringed. "I didn't know bodies could bend like that." Her hand flew to her mouth when the taste of bile hit the back of her throat. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Syn swallowed hard herself, but refused to voice her own discomfort. "Turn away, Vette. _You_ shouldn't have to see this." There were far better ways of getting information out of people than this barbaric display.

Baras stopped his ministrations when he heard the two talking. "Ah, apprentice, I was hoping you would return promptly. Commander Pritch has confirmed that the slaves have been silenced. Good. I'm still trying to extract the information I crave from this Republic agent. He's much more resilient than anticipated. I have another important task for you. It involves a renegade sith lord named Grathan. A particularly bothersome thorn in my side. Meet with my apprentice, Ba'al. He's my covert operative in Granthan's compound. Ba'al claims to have made a key discovery. Grathan's presense is useful to me for now, so cripple him – don't kill him."

She quickly departed her master's chambers when he returned his attentions to the man on the table. "I'm guessing lunch will run a bit late," she said as they stepped back out into the light drizzle. She flipped on her micro-terminal and located Grathan's estate. Not wanting to get shot down by flying over it to get closer, instead she chose the closest landing pad on the outskirts of his estate. "There. Got the navpoint." She patted Pim's head plate and made a beeline for the taxi pad.

"So…another apprentice," Vette said with no small amount of uncertainty. "Don't you guys usually try to kill each other?" she asked during the taxi ride.

"From what I've seen, it can be just as bad between apprentices as it was between acolytes." She cast a quick glance at her slave. "Don't worry, Vette. He'd have to get through me to get to you and I'm not so easy to get through."

So, her master would protect her. Most slaves were expendable. But she was starting to think that might not be the case this time. That was good for her survival chances, which had a way of improving her outlook on life.

-BREAK FIVE-

The taxi settled down at the Dromund Kaas Wall outpost. Grathan lived in the jungle outside of the city's wall. The stuck the shadows once they went over the bridge, crossing into Grathan's lands. During the taxi ride, Baras had sent her Ba'al's location. She found the warehouse,not too far inside Grathan's compound gates. They'd had to relieve the three guards of their lives who were guarding the gate, but other than that, no lives were lost. So far.

Dri'kill Ba'al shook his head when he saw pretty little princess enter his office. "You must be the operative Lord Baras sent. I thought he'd choose a stealthy assassin, no some little princess. This isn't a tea party, little girl."

She smiled sweetly at the taunt. "I don't let being a princess get in my way – you would do well to remember that."

He just blinked. That was not the response he thought he'd get. "Are you saying -" he shook his head. He wasn't sure if she meant she really was a princess or if she had delusions of grandeur. Either way. She was too pretty to take seriously. "You're not talking to one of Baras' Imperial peons. I'll be working for Lord Baras long after you've worn out your welcome."

She cocked a brow. "Must we do this right now?"

He nodded. "We've got business to handle. With the entire complex roused, we'll have to get in each other's faces another time." He ignored her rolling eyes. "Now listen – Lord Grathan is a rogue sith who boldly defies the Dark Council. Locked away here, he's been untouchable. Baras wants to let Grathan know he can be reached. And after a year undercover, I've discovered the way – Grathan has a son!"

She bit back a retort on how little he'd uncovered after a year and instead, folded her arms under her breasts. "I'm fascinated to hear where this is going.," she proclaimed dryly.

He leaned back against the edge of his desk. "He's kept his son a secret in order to protect him from his enemies. Grathan would be devastated if his only child and heir was dead. That would send a message."

"I'm sure it would – but I don't kill children. Period," she growled.

Of all the prissy-assed…he shook his head. "You won't have to, _princess_. Grathan's kid is nearly twenty and strong in the force. He's been trained in the ways of the sith since birth. You'll have your hands full," he warned.

"He is not the only one trained in the force since birth. I'll handle him."

He shook his head at her foolishness and crossed his arms over his chest. "Alright," he mocked. "Maybe underestimating your foes works for you."

"His failing will be the same as yours – underestimating _me_. I always find that quite amusing."

When the beast at her side growled, his body stilled but clamped down on any display of emotion. Blind arrogance had been the fall of many a sith and it would be hers too. "Grathan's away on business. I managed to hack a special spike that will get you inside his private quarters – but you're going to have to knock out the surveillance stations so you aren't seen. There are several monitoring stations on the compound and well…stick your lightsaber in them. Think you can you handle that, princess?"

Her fingers itched, wanting to choke the life out of the moron in front of her. But he'd probably haunt her for the rest of her life. "Is that all?" she asked sweetly.

"The son's name is Beelzlit. I'll meet you back here when you're done. _Don't_ screw up."

She took the spike from him and left. Getting into the compound was easy, it seems the guards were distracted by a man who had just darted out of the compound and they'd decided to give chase. That was an amusing spot of luck. She found the first terminal in front of a lift. She did as she was told and impaled her blade through the control panel and then took the lift down.

After taking out the third monitoring station, she located little Grathan's quarters and applied the spike Ba'al had given her. The door slid open. With lightsaber in hand, she moved carefully forward. She found a young man seated behind a desk, an woman not too far from him.

Beelzlit looked up surprised to see anyone in his chamber. "Mother, a stranger approach."

"You don't know the half of it, kid." Normally Vette wouldn't like the idea of killing someone barely out of childhood, but he would soon be a sith and the world would be better off with less sith in it.

Callvanta, spun around, her hand dropping to the top of her lightsaber. Why had she not sensed the intrusion? She could certainly feel the woman's power now. "I'm Callvanta Grathan! How dare you enter my son's room uninvited! Who are you?"

"I have the unsavory duty of killing kid Grathan. My master wants teach Grathan a lesson he won't soon forget," she admitted without preamble.

Beelzlit came out from behind the desk and took his mother's arm. "Mother, if I am the target, save yourself. I don't want to see you die," he implored her. She'd been his protector growing up more times than he could count. He wasn't sure if he'd have survived his father's temper without her.

Callvanta covered her son's hand with her own. "My son, you must not sacrifice yourself for me. I would die to keep you safe."

"Noble," Syn acknowledged. "Not something I expected. I don't want to have to kill you, kid. But my master forbade me from killing Grathan – my hands are tied."

The older woman stepped in front of her son. She wasn't sure her ploy would work, but the young sith didn't seem to like what she was charged with doing. "I have a better idea, assassin. Spare my son, take my husband's life, and bring me his helmet. My son will wear my husband's armor and assume his place. No one will know. You will be doing everyone a favor – killing a tyrant and sparing an innocent boy."

While the old woman's plan was far more appealing, it didn't make sense. "My informant told me your husband was away – why would you want me to kill your husband anyway?"

"Your informant was wrong. He is in his chamber right now." She eyed the young sith. "You are too young to be a mother, you cannot know the love a mother has for her child…and her child's future. I married Grathan for power. It was a means to an end – now you have given us a new possible future. I'm strong, but I can't touch my husband. How long I've waited for someone to end his oppressive rule."

She looked knowingly at the older woman. "And would your rule be any less oppressive? Why should I replace one monster with another, perhaps worse one?" Syn enquired with a quirk of her brow.

"You are wrong about me, assassin. Yes, I will rule through my son until he can stand on his own." And perhaps longer, since her son loved her so. "But I know things have to change. Not right away, slowly, so as not to raise suspicion."

She looked from mother to son and slowly nodded. "Not too slowly," she warned. "Don't make me come back to correct this problem."

"Of course not, my lord," the old woman agreed. Freedom, she could almost taste it. She pulled a passcard from her pocket and held it out to the assassin. "Use this to enter Grathan's secret chamber – turn left when you leave here. Remember to bring back his helmet. And be wary, assassin. Few are as attuned to the dark side as he."

Vette's hand tightened around the butt of her blaster. "Uh…I don't think I like the sound of that," she admitted as they left the boy's chamber.

"You don't have to go in with me, Vette. Pim and I will take care of old man Grathan."

The next room down on the left had another security console. She slid the card into the slot and the door opened. She heard laughter as she entered the chamber.

"My uninvited guest finally arrives," he said as he turned to face his adversary. "Your feelings betray you, youngster. I sensed your murderous intentions the moment you entered my sanctum. What's more, your poorly shielded mind has revealed your accomplice – my loving wife. Callvanta is a user, child. She's obsesses with power. It's on of the things that attracted me to her – but its outgrown its amusement." He stepped forward pulling in more of the dark energy, his body drinking it in as if it were parched. It filled his cells and lapped at his anger. He would kill his betraying wife next. "I am death itself, child. Come embrace the darkness!"

She ignited her lightsaber. "No thank you. I'm far to vain to ever allow myself to be ravaged and twisted into a monster like you."

The battle was intense, but briefer than she'd imagined. If it weren't for the shielding collar she'd kept on Pim, he would have perished in the battle. Vette, despite her fears, has also joined in. In fairness, it was Pim that had given the old man a deathblow. His teeth had torn through a weak spot in the sith's armor and severed an artery. The loss of blood had slowed Grathan down and eventually weakened him, allowing her to take his head.

Warm healing mist engulfed her as she leaned down to pick up the offensive trophy.

"Eww," Vette replied with a gagging sound.

"Yeah. And I'm not removing the helmet."

Holding the head out in front of her, she returned to the kid's room, thankful she did not have to drop it to fight. She set the helmet down on the desk, resting on its neck stump and tried not to think about it. "It's not empty," she warned. "You'll need to repair the damage on his armor's thigh, but the rest of the armor did not suffer over much."

Cellvanta grinned. "Yes, I sensed my husband's death. What pleasure to think he suffered."

Beelzit sucked in a waver breath and stood taller, having to tear his eyes off the mask that contained his father's head. "Mother, what does this mean? Am I truly to become the master of this house?" he asked with baited breath.

She patted her son's arm. "You will wear his mask son and assume his identity. But you are not yet ready to rule, my dear. The voice will be yours, but the words will be mine. I will mold you into a great leader."

"Do not let your guard down and be seen, kid. And remember your words to me, for I certainly shall."

"Of course, my lord," Cellvanta agreed. "You have done us a great boon today, my new friend." She eyed the beast with blood on his teeth warily and cleared her throat. "Your parlay with Lord Grathan was successful and you will be welcomed on our lands. My son and I have become your allies. Not your master's allies – _your_ allies," she clarified. She sensed the young sith's growing power and she wanted to be a part of that power.

Syn inclined her head to the pair. "Please wait a bit to announce your son's murder. We shall speak again, I'm sure, Lady Grathan."

As they'd been told, no one attacked them on their way out. In fact, it appeared as though the entire base had been alerted that she was a guest at the compound. Just as she walked into Ba'al's office, the alarm went off and a description of a male assassin was barked from an intercom.

Ba'al folded his arms across his chest. "I'm surprised you survived, princess. And it is apparent you have killed Grathan's son. Doesn't say much for Grathan's security forces if you were able to get into his private living quarters. Who knows, maybe you smiled and they swooned at your feet."

She sighed dramatically. "I find your empty chatter amusing."

He pulled his lightsaber. "You'll find this far more sobering. Killing the murderer of Grathan's son will solidify my cover. Baras can replace you easily."

She grinned at his stupidity. Not only in underestimating her but in not paying attention. "Interesting and not unsurprising, but you should clean out your ears. They are looking for a _male_ assassin. I, however, have become a friend of the family. You would be surprised what a title and riches can buy you." This, of course, was deception. The Grathans knew nothing of her royalty – though they would surely learn of it soon enough.

He scoffed at her ridiculous words. "That's ridiculous. You have no business being on this compound. It is obvious you sneaked in and killed the boy." He held up his hand and opened his MT. "Though I'm more than capable of killing you myself, a smart man uses every advantage. – and I am a smart man."

An alarm started blazing to alert the guards. "The intruder," Ba'al shouted, "the intruder is here! Everyone, to me! Attack!"

The guards looked at the sith holding the lightsaber and the woman tapping her foot on the floor. Davith looked at Jory. "I'm afraid there has been a mistake, my lord. Princess Syn-fae Jinn is a welcomed VIP and friend of the Grathan family."

Ba'al's mouth fell open and then snapped shut. "She tried to attack me! Kill her!" he ordered, trying to save face.

The guards pulled their electroblades and advanced. "_You _are the one holding the lightsaber, my lord. We will be taking you into custody for threatening royalty under the protection of the Grathans. Deactivate your lightsaber, my lord," Jory warned.

This was not happening. A year. A year in this place and his own men turned on him. With a growl, he launched himself at the guard, his lightsaber raised. He came to a halt mid leap and was yanked backwards with a yelp of surprise. Icy cold shot through his body and he looked down to see a golden glow in front of his body. "What?..." A lightsaber? Darkness tunneled towards him and swallowed him whole.

She deactivated her blade and the apprentice's body dropped to the ground. "Are you both okay?" she asked the guards.

"Yes, my lord," Jory replied in a shaky voice. "I've no doubt you saved our lives. We will ensure Lord Grathan is made aware of your heroism."

"Very well. But you should know, I followed this man as he fled the compound. I suspect this is the rogue that took that dear boy's life."

"We never saw him leave this room, my lord," Davith assured her.

"A smart man has another way out. I imagine you will find it if you open the doors of that armoire." She had a similar hidden passage in her own room.

Davith hurried over to the wardrobe closet against the far wall and opened the doors. "I'll be damned…" he mumbled when he saw the dark passage at the rear. "We will let the Grathan's know right away. I'm sure they will want to investigate who their man really was. Thank you, my lord, for catching young Grathan's killer."

"You are most welcome. We must be on our way, there are a few thinks I'd like to get done in Kaas City before nightfall." With a nod to each of them, she retrieved Ba'al's lightsaber, snapped it to her magbelt and left the Ba'al's office.

Once they were out off of Grathan's lands and crossing the bridge, Vette couldn't keep quiet any longer. "You are amazing! Not only did you befriend the family, but you figured out another way to pin the blame on that backstabber! I didn't think you had it in you?"

"Why?" she asked curiously. "Because I dislike sith politics?"

"Well…yeah."

She laughed softly at Vette's naivety. "I may have been raised as royalty, but I have also been raised in a sith family. I can be as cunning and manipulative as any sith. He tried to betray me. His fate was deserved."

"You'll get no arguments from me. I loved the way you handled him!" she said as she hopped into the taxi next to her master.

They stopped off at Kaas City for a late lunch and then took a taxi to the sanctum. She could hear Bara's bellows before she ever reached his chambers.

She bit back a retort. He was acting the fool, but she was not yet in a place to call him on it. So, instead, she waited for him to acknowledge her.

He spun to face his apprentice and pulled at imaginary hair. "This is impossible. An unkown power must be shielding this man, which only confirms my suspicions. This Republic agent is the key to unlocking th threat we face. I must harness my rage and frustration. They will lead me to an answer."

She inclined her head, willing to play nice for now. "Trust your feelings, master."

He sucked in a harsh breath and barked out a laugh. "The minion advised the master. Very good, you demonstrate your progress. Word has spread that Lord Grathan is incensed at the slaying of his secret son and that Ba'al was the assassin behind it. Is that true, apprentice?"

Hmmm…how best to explain what happened. "No, my lord. I was able to manipulate the Grathans into believing I came in friendship. I left with them none the wiser that I committed the crime. When I reported the success back to Ba'al, he decided he'd expose me as the assassin and kill me. I manipulated the guards and turned the tables on him. I was forced to kill him when he attacked the very guards he'd called in to kill me. They appreciated my heroism."

He laughed at her ingenuity. It was impressive but also something he'd need to keep an eye one. She was more cunning than he'd imagined. "My confidence in you is growing. Ba'al had served his purpose. Every sith must attempt to orchestrate his own promotion. You have done well, apprentice. Go. There is something I want to look into."

-BREAK SIX-

As her master had promised, they both had dressed up and danced the night away. She didn't feel like Vette the slave. This night, she was a free woman. She drank, she laughed and she swung her hips in abandon. It was a glorious night until she woke up in the morning with a headache from hell…but it was so worth it.

They laid about the room, recovering from their hard night, and having food brought to their room. Being rich did have its advantages. The piddling stipend Baras gave her covered next to nothing. They dressed to the nines later in the day and she took Vette out shopping again. This time, purchasing her a much larger wardrobe, including some intricate filigree lekku bands along with the luggage needed to carry her new wardrobe.

"How come you didn't buy yourself anything today? Not that I don't appreciate your generous credit chip," she added quickly.

"My wardrobe will be arriving on my new ship. The couple of outfits I bought will suitable until the rest of my clothing arrives. It is you I want to have something to wear for every occasion. I enjoy dressing you up."

"Like your very own doll?" Vette quipped, hoping her master would take it the right way.

"Yes." Syn frowned. "No. Not like a doll. Like a friend. I am allowed to have them, you know."

A friend. Friendship was nothing new to Vette, but being friends with someone she was enslaved to seemed surreal. "Of course, you are. But I didn't think that you thought of me as a friend," Vette admitted. "It's not possible."

She dragged her share of Vette's clothing into their room, settled them next to the couch and turned to face Vette. "Why would you say that?"

"A little birdie told me," Vette sing-songed as she pointed to the shock collar around her neck.

Syn's eyes widened in surprise. "I forgot all about that!"

"I didn't."

"No, of course you didn't." She shoved her hand into pocket after pocket. "Now, where is that…" Her fingers wrapped around the small remote. "There it is." She pulled it out and clicked the butt to unlock the collar. It dropped from the twi'lek's neck and rattled against the floor."

Vetter rubbed her neck. "You mean all I had to do was remind you of it?" She slapped a hand to her forehead. "I should have asked sooner."

"Then we are even - I should have thought about it sooner," she admitted, heat crawling up her neck and into her cheeks. "Sometimes you might need to nudge me if I get too self-absorbed."

Yeah, right. Nudge a sith. She doubted her self-preservation would ever let her do such a thing. "Whatever you say," she mumbled under her breath.

Later that night, they went back out for another night of revelry.

Come mid-afternoon of the next day, her holo chimed. She glanced down at the incoming frequency and grinned.

"Honey…I'm home," Bree intoned with wide smile that threatened to tear her face in half when she finally saw the woman she considered a sister. "You never com…you never visit…what is a sister to think?"

Vette fanned her face. The twi'lek in the holo was extremely well endowed and had soft, sultry voice that nearly caused her to change her mind about dating women. "Is she for real?"

Bree cocked her head. "Come closer so I can see you." She didn't have to wait long to see a face pop up next to Syn. "Have I been replaced?" she teased with a mock pout.

"Well, it would seem I got tired of waiting for you to join me." Syn shot back. "A girl needs a side-kick, after all. Bree, let me introduce you to Vette. She'll be joining us aboard the Dusky Pearl."

"Wonderful!" Bree said as she clapped her hands. "I'm sure we'll get along famously! Oh – wait until I tell you all the most embarrassing tales of Syn as a child!"

"I'm gonna love her!" Vette said with a grin.

"Now wait a minute, you two. Don't go and ruin all my mystery and intrigue, Bree. Not to mention dignity and pride," she muttered under her breath.

"Stop dawdling," Bree motioned them with a come-hither hand. "Get over to the spaceport and see your new ship. It's in bay D11."

When the holo winked out, she attached it to her magbelt. "You heard her. Come on, come on…let's go."

They took a taxi to the pad outside the port and hurried up the steps. She pulled up a map for D11 and nodded. "This way."

She came to a stop when she entered the bay and first set eyes on her new ship. The outer hull gleamed like a dark pearl.

Vette whistled her approval. "Nice ride!"

She could certainly see why it was down on the D deck. It was larger than she thought it would be, built somewhat like a missile, tapered in the front – meant to cut through space with little to no resistance. The back end was wider – almost like small wings, in some semblance like a broom, though far sleeker. The engines were obviously housed in the rear, she had no doubt it would outrun most ships out there. In a shimmery creamy color, Dusky Pearl was written along its side.

She smiled when she caught sight of Bree running down the ramp and hurried over to greet her dear friend with a heartfelt hug. "I've missed you so much Bree!"

The other twi'lek was far more alluring in person than on holo. She wore the finest clothing. Her burgundy color was richly adorned with gold jewelry and her bright blue eyes were a striking contrast to her skin's coloring. This was a slave? Vette watched the two reunite. Even Pim was jumping around them all excited. She couldn't imagine greeting her sister in such a manner and these two weren't even real sisters. Perhaps that is what made their bond stronger. Or maybe it was growing up having everything rather than fighting over scraps. She loved her sister, but they'd always been very different people. Hands grabbing hers and shook her out of her thoughts.

Bree gripped both of the other twi'lek's hands in her own. "It is so good to meet you, Vette! I can't wait to swap stories with you. I'm sure your life was filled with far more adventure than I've even been able to dream of!" She let go and slipped her arms through both of theirs. "But I'm here now and we are henceforth Trinity against all enemies! I so declare it!"

"Here, here!" Syn replied in agreement.

Both sets of eyes swung to her. Vetted blinked. Oh, yes…she was a part of this Trinity. "Here, here! Trinity united!"

With arms linked, they hurried towards the ramp, where Bree released them and shooed them in front of her to enter first.

The airlock was a small contamination room. It only took a moment for the decontamination field to flow over them and the inner airlock to open.

Bree stepped in to play tour guide. "Across the hall is the pilot's cabin. To the left is the Bridge with a captain's seat in the middle and a navigation chair on the right and weapons chair on the left. The ship has an A.I. that can handle all aspects of flight and warfare, if you do not have the seats filled. The A.I.'s called Pearl."

"Welcome aboard, Captain. I am here to assist you in any capacity you may need."

Her parents had an AI on their ship and she was tickled they'd included one on hers. "Thank you, Pearl. Bree, please continue."

Bree showed them to the bridge. "Both forward and Aft cannons can be operated manually here. The weapons station has a full 360-degree view via virtual window holo-screens. I recommend you allow the AI to fire the weapons, but it is your call. The pilot can also control the forward canons, but the aft can only be controlled by the AI or the weapons chair. The navigator seat also has a 360-degree view and as you can see, your galaxy map is here too. As you know, permaglass is a structural weakness. The only live view you have is here on the bridge. There are virtual windows throughout the ship, via a plethora of sensors embedded in the ship's hull. All three seats warm, cool or massage as needed – believe me they are heaven…already tried them out," Bree admitted with a grin.

She turned her attention to the stations on the bridge. "The two side stations have full wrap around consoles, which only activate if someone sits in the seat. Take a seat," she said, motioning towards the stations.

Syn sat down in the plush seat; platforms on either side of her whooshed out and snapped together, completely encircling the swiveling chair. The wrap around consoles lit up and 360-degree virtual windows surrounded them in a magnificent holo-display. "This is better than my parent's bridge!"

"This is spectacular! Vette exclaimed as she spun around full circle in the chair. "I can't wait to blow up stuff from this chair!"

Bree grinned at their excitement. It still excited her and she'd had time to get used to it. "If you rise from the chair, the console to recede. Please rise so that I can finish this tour."

They moved down the hall. "If you look down you will notice some of the floor panels have lighted borders. In the case of evacuation, the panels will slide open to reveal ladders. The ladders will lower and connect with the lower decks. Beneath the third deck are the evacuation pods. There are twelve in total that sit four each. There are 6 exit tubes on each side of the ship. The pods are programmed to seek out known, nearby habitable locations. If none can be found, the inhabitants will be put into stasis to preserve them until they are found or until the power cells deplete."

The hall opened into a large room. "This is the command control." There was a large station in the middle that currently displayed a full holo of the ship. There were consoles surrounding the ship's holo as well as terminals along the port and starboard hulls. Even Bree didn't know what they were all for yet – probably to keep the crew busy, if necessary. "To the far right is the XO's cabin – the cabin I've claimed as my own." They walked through the command control and stepped into the room and the lights came on. It was spacious as far as ship cabins went. To the right of the doorway was a bathroom with a tub and shower. There was an 'L' shaped desk that sat against the hall wall. It was large enough to support two chairs and terminals. Down three steps and parallel to the office area was a sofa against the far wall facing the front of the cabin and two chairs were facing the sofa, with a table between them. At the far left of the room, butted up against the wall, was a large bed, two night-tables, with a closet and dresser on each side against the walls. Between the steps and the bedroom area, within the hall facing wall was lighted shelving, in which she'd already placed some of her most precious mementos. "As you can see, the cabin was built for two in mind. Not that I expect to find Prince Charming. All four cabins were designed for two occupants, though the two guest cabins closer to the airlock are smaller than these because the ship flares out a bit towards the aft. All the furniture is magnetically sealed to the floor. But there are levers to break the seals which allow the furniture to be rearranged. Oh – and all the cabins have a virtual window above the beds – which I've enjoyed to the fullest in this cabin," Bree admitted shamelessly.

They exited the XOs quarters. "Parallel to my cabin is the Captain's cabin. It is virtually identical to mine, though longer and the furniture is more luxurious. It is also lacking the lit shelving." The lights popped on as they entered. To the right of the entry way was the bathroom. Within it nestled a toilet, large dual basin sinks and a large tub with dual showerheads, one on each side of the tub. "There are holo-controls for temperature, water spray, tub jets, shampoo, sani-gel, and quick-dry, but you are already familiar with all of that from your parents' ship."

A few feet from the bathroom was another 'L' shaped desk that faced the rest of the room. The entryway, bathroom and desk area were raised. There was a slight ramp leading down into the rest of the cabin. On the other side of the desk was a wet bar with four stools. Behind that, there was a long 'C' shaped sofa facing the port hull. There was a slot for a large, edgeless vid-screen to come down in front of the sectional, but the screen was tucked away at the moment. A coffee table sat in middle of the 'C'. She smiled when Syn stopped to admire the in-wall aquarium along the port hull that took the place of the shelving. The large aquarium was filled with a beautiful array of fish. Something Syn had at home in her bedroom. "In the back, behind the door is a bedroom similar to what you saw in the XO cabin. It has a couple of lounging chairs, but the same in all other regards, or nearly so. The bedroom floor temperature can be regulated."

Just as Bree had mentioned, there was a small sitting area to the right of the bedroom door, there was a lit shelving area along the side of the of the sitting area. But outside of that, the bedrooms were identical…except her was actually walled off as a separate bed chamber, whereas the XO's room it was all open. Syn greatly approved the added wall.

As they exited the captain's quarters, Bree pointed across the command control. "The two guest cabins across the way are smaller than mine, but were still designed for two, albeit a more _cozy_ atmosphere. They have their own refreshers, but have a shower instead of a tub."

"We'll give you a moment, Vette," Syn told her. "Go take a look at both and choose the one you want."

She couldn't believe she would be given her own room. "You are the best!" she squealed and dashed off to see both rooms. Both rooms were mirrors of each other, except the one across from the Captain's cabin was designed with lighter colors. She spun in a circle in her new room. "Life is amazing!" With a grin on her face, she ran out to join the other two women. "I'm taking the one across from the Captain's cabin. It makes me feel like I'm in a tropical paradise!'

Bree nodded to the blue twi'lek. "As soon as I knew you would be joining, I thought you might like that cabin. The other seems a bit…manly. Come on, let's finish this tour. We have two more decks after this one!" She led them towards the lift. "As you can see, there are refreshers on either side of the lift. This lift is rather unique. It can be walked through as well as descend to the other decks. On the other side of the lift there are also two refreshers. Follow me."

She led them through the lift, showing them the controls to open the rear door. "You can also ask Pearl to open the door if your hands are full." They stepped through. "On the right-hand side is a meeting room and on the left is a long-distance communication station. Beyond that is cargo space."

She led them back to the lift. "Deck 2. Rear door." When the lift opened it was to the rear. Here are stasis chambers and below them safety chairs with harnesses, if the need arises.' The room was narrow but wide from side to side. There were 12 pods and seats on each side, wrapping around on all the walls. Five port and aft and two in the middle, hull side, to connect the two rows of five. They essentially looked like narrow "C"s. "Through the door ahead is more cargo storage."

She returned to the lift and led them through the other side. . "On the left is your Crew Quarters. As you can see, there are 10 rows, three cubicles high. Each cubicle is approximately 3' by3'. There is a ladder between rows for access to the higher beds." She stood next to one of the cubicle's and placed her hand on biometric pad. The bed extended outward and the interior lit up. "The beds are 6.5 feet in length and 3 feet wide. Each bed has several 5-inch shelves on each side, which can be used or folded away. People should be able to sit up or lean against the padded rear wall. The units are soundproofed, neighbors will not be disturbed. Besides the shelving for personal items, each unit has a built-in locker."

She keyed the bed closed and opened the front panel of the bed. "A place to store clothing and other items too large for the shelves. The lockers, once assigned, only open to that individual's biometrics. Both yourself and Pearl override the security measures, if a crew member is suspect." She closed the locker. "Along the shorter wall," she pointed, "there are 3 units designed for people who cannot fit into the standard beds."

"Besides the terminals you see in this room," Bree continued, "there is an entertainment room with vidscreen and sofas and a couple of small gaming tables in the connected room. Follow me." She exited the room. "Further down on the left are the male and female crew facilities. On the right, across from the crew quarters is the starboard lounge." She stepped into the lounge. "There's a wet-bar, small dance floor and several sofas. And, of course, a large virtual window. There is also a virtual fireplace. The lounge can also be entered via the galley." She moved through the door leading to the mess hall filled with tables and proceeded on into the kitchen. There were several ovens and microwaves lining the wall as well as a large refrigerated storage and a large walk in pantry. Stove tops lined a central island. "A standard kitchen meant to feed quite a few by the looks of it. Of course, your parents fully stocked it."

She left the kitchen and turned left at the hall. "The next room on the left is a workout room that is fully padded. Free weight benches, workout centers, sparring area and dummies."

Bree didn't enter the workout room. She assumed they both knew what a workout room looked like. Instead, she continued to the door at the end. "This is the forward battery." She stepped through but only proceeded far enough to allow the two to check the room out. "Right now, the canons are retracted, this allows for maintenance and protection. Let's hit the final deck."

Bree hurried back down the hall and entered the lift. "Deck 3. Rear door." When the door opened, she led them in to an area that she knew little about. "This is engineering. If you acquire any engineers, they can vent, cool, and reallocate power as needed to keep the core stable – otherwise, Pearl will handle engineering. Let's go before we break something," she teased.

Bree led them through to the other side of the lift. "There are only two additional rooms we are going to visit on this deck. The MedBay and the Armory. Before them, on the left, are refreshers and a laundry room. On the right is the AI core."

Since all the rooms were clearly labeled, she followed Bree into the room on the left. The armory. There were rows of guns, every shape and size, lining one of the walls. Below each type of weapon were clips of ammunition. All magnetically affixed to the wall. "There is calibration equipment for guns and mods and tables for minor repairs. There are lockers on the wall to store individual armors. The lockers will sanitize and recalibrate the armor within. If more extensive repairs are needed, that will have to be seen to by the gunnery chief, if you have one. Like the bed lockers, these lockers only open via biometric scan."

Bree then led them into the MedBay on the right-hand side. There were a few odd machines and a couple of desks with terminals and an array of medical diagnostic equipment that she had no clue what to do with. "As you can see the beds in here are similar in nature to those in the Crew Quarters. Scanner arms and beds are tucked away in the wall unless needed. There are scanners located inside the chamber to monitor patients, letting the medics know if they are asleep, awake, or in need of more medication or medical attention. The severely injured can be put into stasis until a medical facility can be reached. The far end of the room, between the AI and the medbay, is a working lab – I'm not sure if we'll ever need it, but your parents thought of everything.

"There remains only the hangar bay on this deck." She led them through a door within the med bay and found herself in the hanger bay. "Both the armory and the medbay have a door that leads directly to the hangar bay. In case of emergency." She took a sharp left and they were behind a wall. "If we'd have come in through the main door," she motioned to the door on the left, "we would have had to turn left or right to get around the small wall. That's because," she then pointed to the door on the right, "this us the Aft Battery. Behind this door, you can seat yourself into a chair and then lower the cannon down for 360 degrees of manual control." She continued until the wall ended and turned right into the main hangar bay. Along the port side sat two shuttles, one in front of the others. That was obviously well thought out and practical. Along the starboard side there were smaller spaces, two of which held which held a skycars and also several mountable speeders. Down the center was a large runway. Each of the vehicles were labeled with the Dusky Pearl's name to show ownership.

"I have never seen a ship like this fabtablulous. Every ship I've ever been on has been serviceable and utilitarian. This…I mean – wow! You'd think you were a pampered princess or something," Vette teased.

"Funny," Syn said with a roll of her eyes. "You did an amazing job with that tour, Bree."

Bree smiled, her blue eyes glowing with happiness. "Didn't I? I can't tell you how long I spent studying everything. Pearl could have given you the tour, but I wanted to do it."

They headed back to the lift and took it to the command deck. "Have you been practicing your moves, Bree?"

Bree nodded. "Every day. Your parents continued to work with me even after you left."

"Good. Then I want you to have this." She pulled Ba'al's lightsaber from her magbelt and held it out to her friend. I'm sure they will agree that you have earned this."

Bree looked down at the lightsaber in her hand as if it would bite her. "You're not going to make me enter the academy, are you?"

Bree would never survive the deadly machinations in the academy. She had it in her to kill if it saved a life, but she was far too kind hearted for the treachery required. "Absolutely not! If anyone asks, you are my apprentice. At least you will be, once I am a sith lord. Until then, you can be my mother's apprentice, I suppose. Though, likely no one will care enough to ask."

Relief flooded through the twi'lek. "Then I can't think of a better gift!" She snapped the weapon to her magbelt and hugged her dear friend. "Thank you, Syn."

When she pulled back, she smiled at Bree and ran her fingers down the twi'lek's burgundy cheek. "Why don't you get yourself into something more…protective. You can help us gather our things from my academy room. We're going to be sleeping aboard the ship for now. I want to become familiar with it and frankly, I could use the privacy."

"Be right back!"

She watched Bree dash over to the XO's cabin and then turned to Vette. "Do you think you'll like it here?"

"As much as I like breathing," Vette retorted in surprise. "What's not to like about this ship? It has everything! You must be joking – my cabin is better than most people's homes!" Vette just blinked when Bree rejoined them. She wore a sapphire blue coat trimmed in gold and beneath it was a blue velvet looking dress. She had fingerless half gloves like Syn and the same gold banded arm guards. There was a gold magbelt at her waist and a flesh colored headband that had a filigree gold emblem in the center of her forehead. "Wow."

Syn's brows rose and she looked over at Vette's leather. "Would you like a new set of armor?"

"Me?" Vette squeaked. "No," she said lifting her hands in surrender. "Princess looks good on both of you, but not me. Nope. Not me. There's not a princess bone in my body.

Syn shook her head and laughed. "You looked pretty dressed up for dancing," she pointed out.

Her blue nose wrinkled and she had to stop herself from sticking out her tongue. "Yes. But that was a costume. On for a night of fun and off so I can relax and just be me. "This is how I'm most comfortable," she said as she gripped the sides of her long leather duster.

"And you look so daring and dashing in all that leather," Bree told her with a smile.

"Agreed," Syn said with a nod. "Now, let's take two of the skycars. Bree follow us. Pim," she said as she settled a hand on his head. "I need you to stay here and guard the ship. We'll need the back seat for our things."

-BREAK SEVEN-

Vette sank into the pillowy soft seat of the skycar. "Bliss," she groaned. "A girl could get used to this."

"Now you can see why I'm spoiled," Syn agreed with a grin.

She turned her head to look at her master. "I'm guessing with the lightsaber and all that Bree is sith too?"

"My father is a Darth, so he has the power to make her a sith lord someday. Right now, she is essentially an acolyte, whereas I'm an apprentice. Once I'm sith lord, I'll make her my apprentice. It is what we've planned all along."

She didn't think that was a very well thought out plan on her master's part. "Um…don't sith apprentices try to kill their masters?"

Syn couldn't help but laugh. "It's true enough for some. The blacker and more twisted the sith, the more likely it will happen. But my mother was my father's apprentice and they are both alive and well. Bree and I are like that. We're family. We want each other to succeed. Besides, we complement each other. I am better at swordplay, manipulating people's minds and the most delicious force choke. She is better at healing, throwing multiple objects and pushing back larger groups."

So, they were the perfect team since childhood. Great. "Then how do I fit in?"

Ah…so that was what concerned her new friend. "We are a Trinity, Vette. We all have our parts to play. You are a whiz with blasters and you know your way around electronics – plus…you are damned good at solving puzzles."

Vette grinned, relieved that she truly was needed. It felt good to be needed. "Point taken. We are a team."

They set down at the landing pad outside the sanctum. It did not take them long to gather up their belongs and toss them in the back of the skycars. "Follow me to Kaas City. We'll stuff ourselves and bring home some meat for Pim. No cooking or clean up tonight. Dinner's on me."

"I think I'd prefer it on a plate," Vette quipped.

"Eww.." Bree replied with a wrinkle of her pert nose. "Did you have to put that picture in my head? Plate…yes…a plate is best."

"Come on, you two. I'm hungry enough to eat you both if you don't hurry up," Syn groused.

"If you were a guy, I might just take you up on that," Vette said innocently.

Syn closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. "You are so deranged."

"Thank you, master!" She hopped into the passenger seat and groaned.

"Syn. Not master. Syn."

"Syn, then." Vette had seen how Bree addressed her master, but it felt strange…in a good way.

Though there was a lot of catching up over dinner, she and Bree made a point of including Vette in their conversation.

When they eventually returned to the Pearl, they helped Vette put away her things and bid her goodnight. Bree followed Syn back to her room and the two stayed up late catching up over the time they were apart.

Sleep eventually drove then to their own beds and Syn sank into a comfort she'd been denied for too long.

After breakfast, she received a message from Baras. The three of them armored up and squeezed into a skycar, with Vette sitting on Bree's lap so Pim could hog the backseat.

He was pacing the floor when she arrived. She wrinkled her nose when she saw the prisoner, who was now looking gaunt and smelled even worse.

Baras looked up to see the four enter his chambers. "It would seem you have been busy building your own power base," he said with a wave of his hand. Her power base only strengthened his own. "The prisoner has remained impossible to break," Baras growled with a motion towards the man on the table. He began to pace once again. "There's one last possibility to break him. I thought I impossible, but perhaps there's a small chance you could pull it off. Over a millennium past, the Emperor claimed Dromund Kaas and made the Dark Temple the epicenter of the dark force energy. In the bowels of the temple, he conducted horrifying experiments that drained the knowledge and life essence from all the greatest sith lord of the time. He siphoned them to make himself immortal and all-knowing. The Emperor created a device called the Ravager that ate his victim's minds and delivered to him their greatest secrets. No one could withstand the Ravager's intrusion – even the strongest sith lords of the Empire confessed whatever the Emperor craved. The Emperor keeps the Ravager hidden in the Dark Temple, which has, in his absence become a death trap. There's a good chance the horrors that await you will be too severe. But it's worth your life to me. The legends describe a secret chamber in the depths of the Dark Temple where the Ravager was encased. You'll know the device by its inscription. Be swift, apprentice."

He was so quick to try to throw away her life. If he ever came under attack, she would do nothing to save him. One day, he would understand the error of undervaluing her and underestimating her. One day, she would have the last laugh. As cliché as that might seem, she had little doubt how things would end between them. His callous attitude and disregard ensured that outcome.

"Scary master you have there. Bites to be you," Vetted said with a shiver. Never had she been so glad not to be force sensitive.

"I'm merely biding my time. It will work out in the end, Vette. You will see."

Bree looked over at Syn, trying to get a read from her as they hopped back into the skycar. "Will you be okay in there?" she asked quietly.

Syn set the navpoint and the skycar lifted off before she answered. "I know not to look at them. I'll be fine."

"Um…did I just miss something?" Vette asked. The conversation had been a bit eerie.

"I suppose you should know," she said tightly. "I am…sensitive to spirits and shades. I was born that way. I've learned to pretend I don't see them. Because if they know I've seen them, then they cling to me for either help or because they need validation of being seen."

"Wow. Tough break, Syn. If you do see any…try not to tell me about it. I don't like the idea of someone I can't see watching me," Vette replied as a shudder rippled through her body.

"Do you feel that?" Bree asked as they drew closer to the temple. "It feels cold and dark."

"I feel it too. Look down. Something is wrong with those people. They are swaying, not in control. Something is very wrong here." Without preamble, she drove the skycar directly through the temple's front door and set it down in the expansive entryway and locked it up tight after they'd all gotten out. "Try to keep away from anyone you see in there. I think – I think they are possessed. If so, they may eventually be saved. Stay close," she warned. "I've got Baras' navpoint.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Vette grimaced. Her eyes opened wide when she got to the top of the stairs. Boxes, crates and all sorts of goodies were scattered all about. A treasure trove of goodies. If you didn't mind the crazies contorting in some kind of bizarre dance. But the credits… "Man…I could make a fortune in here. You think maybe I can just take a little?" She caught their glares and sighed. "Okay...okay."

They skirted the room towards the right and ducked into the first doorway on the right. There were crumbling stones and debris, but the long hall was lit well. The hall ended in stairs the descended further into the temple.

"The cobwebs and that faces carved into the ceiling above the stairs is creepy," Vette hissed.

"That was probably the idea," Bree agreed. "We're not alone," she said, peering down at the bottom of the stairs.

"I can feel them. They are not right in the force. We won't be able to get around them, there's too many too close." She tore her lightsaber off her magbelt and ignited it. "Come on girls, let's get this over with." And then she leapt down to the nearest possessed body, her lightsaber cleaving it into two halves. The other two of the trio were slammed hard into the temple's wall. Blaster bolts took out another a little further back.

At the end of the stairs, the hall turned left and towards the chamber they'd been told to find. There was a sith shambling around inside the chamber. He went down quickly.

Vette rubbed her forehead. "Um…guys? I'm hearing voices in my head any way to shut off the radio chatter?"

"I think so," Bree told her. "Stay close, I'll shield you."

Vette moved in closer to the other twi'lek and sighed in relief when the oppressive weight and voices disappeared. "I could kiss you right now – though I won't," Vette added quickly.

"Do you need shielding?" Bree asked Syn.

"Thank you, but no. I am handling it for now." She slowly approached the protective stone container. She could feel the power, even through the stone and more than anything she wanted to leave without the Ravager. What lay inside, no one should ever have access too. She felt the approach of others and turned to face the intruders.

Vacuus sneered at the group of women in the chamber. His chamber. "It was foolish of you to come here. I am Lord Vaccus. The conqueror of Begeren. The killer of Garatak the Singed and I will have my exact my revenge on Lord Pharshol! Leave or burn!"

"Hmmm," she hummed as she tapped her chin. "I choose burn." Her eyes warmed as she drew in power and she knew they were changing color.

"Die at the hands of Vacuus!"

"Pim! Stand down!" She grabbed a stone with the force and threw it at the man's head. His eyes rolled up and his body fell with a thud, his lightsaber winking out. Bree knocked out the other two similarly. She nodded her approval. She felt the shade's anger, but did not look for him. "They were possessed like the others. Vacuus and Pharshol died a long time ago. We need to leave."

With a shove of power, she toppled the stone lid to the ground and pulled out the device by the small bridge in the middle. Under no circumstances would she let that thing get anywhere near her face. She pulled a cord out of a small pouch and tied it securely to her belt.

They weaved their way back through the possessed to their skycar. Her head didn't clear until she was past the spirit-controlled lands. "Vette, I'd like you to take a look at the device. If there is any way you can hinder what it can do or ensure that it overheats no long after use. Anything."

She held out her hand. "Let me take a look." She turned the device over, taking in the components and how they worked together. She was good with electronics, for the most part, but breaking something and making it break soon were two very different things. One thing for sure, she was glad she didn't feel the sithy power in the device that the other two felt. "I think I know what to try." She pulled out her belt of tools and started to play. "It will work for a while – though I don't know how long and I'm not sure what it will do when it burns out. But there were some components in there – I'm not sure if they can even be replaced anymore."

"Good job. Better than I hoped. With luck, Baras won't find a way to fix." She took the device back when they exited the skycar on the pad. She paid a fee to park it, since it wasn't a taxi and hurried in to see Baras.

He was relieved when he saw his apprentice stroll through the doorway. "When I sent you into the Dark Temple for the Ravager, I thought it might be the last time I saw you, apprentice." He was glad she returned. Not because he cared about her life, but because he was not yet done using her for his own ends. He wanted her power and if he was honest, he needed it. For now.

Syn handed him the Ravager and forced herself to watch when Baras put the Ravager on the prisoner's forehead; she did not turn away from his suffering. It was because of her that he suffered – at least as far as the Ravager went.

The Republic agent told them much. A jedi by the name of Nomen Karr, an old enemy of her master's, had a padawan who could see the light and dark within anyone. This is what had given his spy away. Before Baras could find out the padawan's current location or race, the Ravager sparked and the smell of cooked meat and wiring assaulted her nostrils. She swallowed hard, trying to force the bile back down into her belly. At least the prisoner died quickly after the Ravager malfunctioned.

He tore the Ravager off the dead man's forehead and threw it against the wall in a fit of rage. It shattered and that only made him angrier. "That is all we have to go on," he seethed. "A few random places within the greater galaxy where Nomen Karr and his padawan may have been."

"But it's a start," she pointed out. "The device did what you needed it to. We know why, we know who and we know some probable wheres. We've come a long way in a few minutes," she reminded him.

He sighed and nodded. "You are correct. We now have leads to follow." He began to pace. "Nomen Karr is a relentless crusader, and his padawan's unprecedented power threaten everything I have achieved." He stopped to look at his apprentice. "I've been told you have a personal ship that arrived recently – is that report true?"

"It is. It was a gift from my parents for becoming your apprentice," she told him.

Sometimes he forgot she was a princess. He would enjoy using her more than any other apprentice. Her titles bore no weight with him. "Good. Your duties are likely to take you to the far reaches of the galaxy. I will need to deploy you at will. Do what you need here and let me know when you get to your ship. I will tell you where I need you to go at that time."

She inclined her head. "It will be done," she told him and then spun around to leave the toad to his corpse. He'd gone on and on about Nomen Karr. So, the jedi beat him once. He survived and he'd grown stronger. But hanging onto that old hate had twisted him.

Bree's feet moved quicker, though not intentionally. "Your boss isn't quite right in the head, is he?" she whispered.

"No, Bree. He is not. He is cunning. He is manipulative. And he is insane."

"Crazy as a loon," Vetted agreed.

They packed back into the skycar, flew around the spaceport and entered through the field in back that kept the air pressurized. She settled the car in the belly of her ship and hopped out. "We're going to drink, eat and enjoy our evening. I'll contact Baras in the morning...or afternoon, whenever we crawl out of bed."

"Best plan ever!" Vette agreed, in a sing-songy voice.

"Um…who's cooking? Because you might not like what you get if you give me that chore," Vette snickered at the truth of her words. She'd given more than one person a serious case of the belly cramps.

"Did I forget to tell you?" Bree beamed; her baby blues lit with mischief. "Your parents included an advanced protocol droid to do the cooking, cleaning and medic services. Hear he's also supposed to be good with a firearm. He goes by CC-M1. Though I've just been calling him CC and he's fine with it."

"Your parents really did think of everything. Do you think they'd be willing to adopt me?" Vette teased with a wink.

"I couldn't think of a better family to be a part of," Bree declared passionately. She even had their surname, which was not unheard of for slaves. "Don't think I'm not going to cook just because there's a droid to do it. I'm still going to cook more often than not – just not tonight."

That night was the best any of them had in a good long time. Three women, wine, funny stories, good food and so much laughter that their bellies hurt as much as their heads come late morning when they rolled out of bed.


	6. A StarWars Fable-Prologue Bounty Hunter

SWTOR

An Old Republic Tale

Prologue

Bounty Hunter – Starting Over

Sylver buckled on the last of her white and silver armor. It was hard to believe her life had come to this. If she'd not had her brains scrambled, she would have died with the rest of her branch of the Wren clan. She would have had an honorable death. Now – now she had no honor. By the time she'd dug her way out from under the bodies of her family, she alone had survived the attack. Her great-grandfather's branch of the Wren clan were dead at her feet. She'd been left with nothing but a burning hatred for all things Sith and the steely need to claw her way back up to reclaim her honor.

Her clan had been attacked without honor – without warning by some chakaar sith lord and his underlings who had attacked after a marriage celebration that lasted long into the night. Much of her clan had been passed out from drink. The bodies of her mother and her brother had slammed into her with enough force that they'd all been propelled backwards and her head had struck a permacrete wall.

It had been almost two months since the attack and she could still feel her family's blood coating her. She still had nightmares of the piles of dead she'd awoken to and the desecration of her mother and father's ring fingers, because their wedding bands had been unremovable in death as they had been in life. Nothing else had been touched. The raid seemed to have no purpose except to steal the rings that had been in her mother's family for generations. Her mother was not born Mandalorian, so those rings signified a marriage tradition from her mother's culture.

She'd built seventeen pyres and was forced to stack two to three bodies on each pyre to perform the kote kyr'am ceremony to honor the dead. She gave every man, woman and child this honor, for she knew each would have fought to the death. After the bodies were burned, she dragged the dead sith into the forest behind their settlement for the animals to scavenge.

She'd taken care to cut out each of their hearts and heaved them deep into the woods. The sith had no hearts in life – she ensured they'd have none in death.

If she had seen or heard anything prior to or during the attack, she didn't know. Though the lump on her head was gone, so too were the memories of the attack. And here she was, landing on Hutta to work with strangers just so she could get into the Great Hunt. Winning the Great Hunt was the surest way to earn back her honor.

Her nose wrinkled as she descended the shuttle's ramp. The stench was enough to curl her toes. But it didn't matter that she would rather be anywhere but here. The only thing that mattered was winning the Great Hunt. Maybe then she would feel like a Mandalorian again. Maybe then she'd have her honor.

She followed the coordinates that led to a room that held three occupants. Ah yes...and there was the older man she'd met with last month when they'd worked together to bring down a bounty. Braden.

Braden motioned to Mako. "We're almost set up. See if you can't get that security network running, Mako."

"Sure thing, Braden. We'll be -" Mako turned to see who was approaching them. "Hey now…"

"Hey, indeed," Braden responded with a nod to the white-haired woman, "– the main attraction is here. Team, this is Sylver Wren, the girl we're pinning all our hopes on. Best shot I've ever seen and nerves of steel. She's Great Hunt material, all right. What do you say, Sylver? Ready to meet your team?"

"I've been ready for this for a long time now, Braden. I'm glad you found me. Though, I've never worked with a team before." At least not a team of outsiders.

Braden grunted. "Get used to the idea. To win the Great Hunt you will need support, structure and intel." He found himself standing a little straighter, though he wasn't sure why. "Let's do this the official way. This is Mako," he said, waving his hand towards the small dark-haired woman, "a little genius I picked up on Nar Shaddaa. She provides intel and tech."

Mako grinned. "I hope you're as good as the old man says!"

"You could say I was made for this job," she assured the woman. She was Mandalorian, after all.

Braden nodded and then motioned to the nikto seated at a table. "This big bruiser is Jory. He handles the heavy lifting and provides security for our base of operations."

She was surprised to see warmth in the nikto's eyes when he looked at her.

"Greetings. I am at your disposal. Feel free to make us all incredibly wealthy and famous," Jory teased, despite how serious he actually was.

"Thank you…each of you, for standing beside me. It won't be forgotten," she told them.

Braden held up his hand and nodded. "All right…down to business. We're here because the Great Hunt has been called. Little Mako is the most rabid fan of hunter history this side of the Geonosis – and even then, she doesn't know exactly what the Great Hunt entails."

Mako beamed a smile. "But I do know the names of every Great Hunt winner, though: Bloodworthy. The Defenestrator, Jewl'a Nightbringer.."

Braden cut her off. "Every bounty hunter who's won a Great Hunt went on to massive glory and riches – which is why we are here. The Great Hunt has two groups: the Mandalorian elite and the freelance bounty hunters sponsored by influential crime lords. There's no time to make you a Mandalorian. That means you need a sponsor."

"Braden…I _am_ Mandalorian," she admitted.

That made little sense. "What? Then why -"

She held up her hand to halt his questions. "My clan was…massacred. I was knocked out, buried under a pile of…bodies. I have lost my honor. The Great Hunt will restore it."

Braden was not a foolish man. He was not about to disagree with Sylver no matter how wrong her words were. They would not be able to find a more capable candidate. Sylver would win the Great Hunt and she would win it for them – not as a Mandalorian. "Yes, it will. Here's what you need to know. Nem'ro the Hutt runs this stinking little town. I've got just enough pull with that gangster to get you an introduction. Mako can scan for every bounty in the area. I want the nastiest, most brutal, untouchable scum you can find."

Mako returned to her terminal. "I'm on it, Braden. One nasty character coming up…"

Braden nodded. "Since we are not using your reputation as a Mandalorian then we need to get you situated as a big-time hunter, at least as far as the locals know. Then we contact Nem'ro. Mako will plant rumors about your offworld exploits, but you have to take down someone impressive – and local – to sell that reputation." He cocked his head to the side and looked back at Make. "How's the scan coming, Mako?"

She clucked her tongue. "Found something. Check this out," Mako's lips twitched, "Vexx: Corellian, champion quick draw artist, wanted for robbing fifteen Imperial military pay stations."

Jory shook his head in wonder. "Of all the places to get credits, why would a sane being rob an Imperial pay station?"

"Honestly – I'd shake his hand if I could. Of course, I'd still have to kill him…and that is a shame," she admitted. "It was the sith that massacred my family. I have no love for the Empire, regardless where my boots touch ground. Will that be a problem with any of you?"

"I really don't give a damn," Mako replied. "The Reps and Imps can keep killing each other for all I care – just gives us more bounties to collect."

Braden waved his hand. He'd certainly worked both sides of the fence during his lifetime. "Factions don't concern us. Credits and glory do. And that begins with Vexx. Now, Vexx is either a madman or a glory hound – and he's obviously dangerous."

"Says here Vexx has a safe house in the bad part of town, right in the heart of the madness. That'll be fun," Mako teased with a wink at Sylver. She couldn't stop herself from wondering if the woman had been born with that striking silvery-white hair. It looked soft and satiny, nothing at all like the wiry texture of aged hair. Hair was not usually something that crossed her mind, but it was odd seeing someone so young with a full head of silvery-white hair.

"Well," Braden replied with a small exhale, "he'll have to do. Nem'ro the Hutt's enemy took over part of this town. It's dangerous poking around in there, but it's your best shot. Raid Vexx's safehouse and look for something that might help us track him down."

Sylver lips turned up into a lopsided grin. "That, I can do. Things are about to get interesting."

"Sylver -" Braden called out before she could step out the door, "be safe out there."

She winked at Braden. "K'oyacyi, Braden. Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur. Stay alive, Braden. This is a good day for someone else to die." That had always been her motto, it likely always would be.

She followed the coordinate's to Vexx's safehouse. He had three goons guarding the interior of his house, but she'd caught them with their pants down…entertaining guests. The women left amidst screams…the men chose to go for their weapons…they never made it.

She was able to locate an office and grabbed a datapad he had hidden in one of the drawers of his desk. It would have to do. She returned to the Poison Pit and was stopped by a droid a moment after she stepped through the door.

"P8-47 = carrying urgent message / Message = sent by Nem'ro the Hutt/ Mighty Nem'ro = all powerful Ruler of Jiguuna."

Since she needed to get in good with the Hutt, she decided to hear the droid out. "Let me have it." The droid projected a holo of Nem'ro.

"I am mighty Nem'ro, ruler of Jiguuna! Citizens, hear me – my city is under siege from the craven Fa'athra and his followers! These criminals wage illegal war against me in the streets. Eradicate all of Fa'athra's people who dare to set foot in Jiguuna! Cripple this coward's army and you will know the honor and rewards of serving the great and powerful Nem'ro the Hutt."

The holo flickered out. "I'll take care of it," she told the droid.

"P8-47 = relieved /Nem'ro = turn P8-47 into spare parts if message ignored / P8-47 = not ready for scrap heap."

"No worries there, little guy." She patted his dome and hurried off to meet up with Braden. Braden wasn't there, but Mako and Jory were. She could see a sparkle in Mako's eyes when the small woman spotted her.

Mako settle d her hip against the terminal she'd been working at. "Hey, look who's back! How'd it go out there, girl? Find anything?"

"A little something. Vexx was kind enough to leave a datapad behind for me to find. I love a generous man," she replied with a wink as she handed the datapad to Mako.

"Great! I'll see what I can make of it,"

Jory leaned back in his chair and grinned at Sylver. "You show much natural skill. I'm honored to join you on the Great Hunt."

"And I'm honored to have you by my side, Jory."

"Oh – ho…Aren't you two just adorable and so full of honor," Braden teased.

Sylver chuckled. "You caught us…we've already got our china picked out," she teased.

Mako laughed. "I better be invited! Maybe Braden can give you away! Hey – Braden. How was Nem'ro's palace? Are we getting Sylver in to see the Hutt before the wedding or after?"

He held his hands up to slow her down a bit. "I've laid the groundwork, but we're not there yet. What've you got?" he inquired.

"Datapad from Vexx's safe house. Cracked it in record time! Check out that last entry…" Mako beamed.

"Hmmm…Our boy Vexx keeps detailed records. There's a receipt here for a shuttle ticket he bought today. We'll have to move fast! But keep in mind that he's a champion gunslinger. Completely ruthless. You ready to take him down?"

"I have been ready for months, Braden." She was far more than ready to regain her honor.

Braden inclined his head to her. "Then head to the shuttle port. Bring back Vexx's ID tags as proof that you're the one that took him out. Anything else on him is yours.

"Good luck, Sylver," Jory said with a chuckle. "Speed and accuracy be yours…hurry back so we can set a date."

She winked at the nikto. "Sure thing, tall, dark and horny. Re'turcye mhi! Be back soon."

Vexx had over a dozen men watching his six, but he also had one hell-bent woman hot on his heels and a dozen men were not deterrent enough to keep her at bay. A fact they'd discovered right quick. Only two of the men chose to lay down their weapons. She let those to walk – the rest would never walk again.

She found him doing last minute repairs on his ship. She considered borrowing his ship, since he wouldn't be needing it anymore. But stealing a ship wasn't simple. Well, stealing it was simple, keeping it was another kettle of bantha stew. She was not a good enough slicer to doctor the identa-chip to show that she owned the ship. But…Mako was. Maybe she could work something out with the wily woman.

She stomped loudly so that he could hear her coming up behind him.

Vexx spun around, blinked and then grinned. He was careful not to look in the direction of his men. If she was here - then they were already dead and he didn't want her to think being alone with her was a concern. Because it wasn't. No one had a quicker draw than he did. "What's this? A lawman of sorts? Never thought I'd see the day dashing Vexx would get corned by a brute enforcer."

She pursed her lips as her brow quirked up. The man talked about himself in third person. Who did that? "I don't think _dashing_ is the word you're looking for – but I can give you a few more descriptive words if you need help."

She was kidding. She had to be. No woman could resist Vexx, so he chose to ignore her words. He straightened his shoulders, a cocky grin on his face. "Ah, but I know something you don't. Vexx is not your ordinary. Run-of-the-mill thug. Oh, no. Vexx is the galaxy's greatest quick-draw artist. Vexx can shoot your ears off so fast you won't even hear yourself scream."

A soft laugh slipped past her lips. Morons really shouldn't speak. "I…uh…hate to burst your bubble there, _Vexx_ – but that's not how ears work."

The woman dared to contradict Vexx. "What do you – shut up!" His hand dropped to his blaster, but his world faded to black before it ever cleared leather. Not possible….

She spun her blaster and slapped it back on her magbelt. That's one reason she never used holsters. That second or two it took to clear leather could make the difference between life or death. She knelt down and rummaged the corpse until she found the ID tags. She rose and eyed the ship one last time. It wasn't very big – probably not meant for more than a handful of people…but maybe she'd come back for it.

The metallic scent of blood smacked her hard as she stepped through the doorway of their meeting room in the Poison Pit. Her steps faltered when she saw the two bodies on the floor. She forced one foot in front of the other and knelt down next to Braden. She lowered her hand and placed two fingers against his throat and flipped on the micro-terminal in her gauntlet. No pulse. She scanned the room looking for a third body…or something to tell her what happened.

"Hey, old-timers, I'm…Jory! Braden!" No….no…they got drunk…passed out. That's all this was. The red…that was wine…just wine.

Sylver rose slowly to her feet. "I'm sorry. Mako. I just arrived. Whatever happened…they didn't survive it." She turned to Jory, knelt down and tested his pulse as well. "Dead…I need…we need to find out what happened."

Mako dropped down next to Braden wanting to shake him awake, but the empty stare told her he would never wake up again. "No…not Braden. I've been with Braden for years. He – he was like a father to me. This – it can't be real."

She knew that pain all too well. She still lived it. "It's never easy when death comes for your family. But I do understand what you are going through."

Mako rose on unsteady legs. Sylver did understand. The Mandalorian's entire family was murdered. A shudder raced down her spine. At least she had not been buried under Braden's body. "I just never imagined…but I can handle this. I can. Jory and I set up surveillance gear all over this room. Whatever happened here should have been recorded." She hurried over to the terminal and searched through the data. "Blast it! Someone's tampered with the recording...but I think – there…I was able to clean up some of it."

Sylver joined Mako as the holo flickered on. After a bit of noise, it cleared up. It showed them the only thing that mattered. Tarro Blood. A Mandalorian who had barely survived an attack by the other Mandalorians at the Great Hunt ten years ago had his muscle murder Braden and Jory to try to keep her out of the competition. Tarro didn't know she was Mandalorian. Tarro didn't know that his actions didn't clip her wings. Tarro didn't know what he'd set into motion. But he would learn. Yes…he would learn.

"That scum!" Mako growled. "He didn't even have the guts to kill them himself. He had his lackeys do it! The coward! We have to make him pay! He can't get away with this. We need to make sure you are in the Hunt! We need Nem'ro the Hutt more than ever." She shook her head. "If nobody knows Braden is…is dead, I should be able to get you a meeting with Nem'ro."

She took a steadying breath. "If you need to…you can leak who I really am. I doubt that Hutt can afford to turn down Mandalorian assistance."

Mako could see that outing herself was the last thing Sylver wanted to do. "I hope it does not come to that. But it will take every favor I can call in. And I'll need the tags from your bounty. It should be enough for two burials.

Bury? That's right, they did things different here. "I'd like to pay my respects."

"Thank you, Sylver – but there is no time. Braden would understand – and Jory would insist…even if you were engaged." That small joke brought the barest hint of a smile to her lips. But the pain that gripped her heart in a vice would allow for nothing more. "I did everything I could to build your reputation, but now you'll have to make an even bigger impression. Take out some of Fa'athra's leaders before you visit the palace. That's your _in_ with the Hutt."

She lifted a hand and settled it on Mako's arm. "We'll do this, Mako. This is about far more than my honor now. This is about Braden and Jory. We won't fail." She squeezed the small woman's arm and hurried out of the chamber.

Killing Fa'athra captains was as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. They wore their insignia proudly, which only served to point out their rank. And like cockroaches…they were everywhere. When she felt like she'd done enough damage she made her way to the palace.

She found the fat slug upon a dais, surrounded by dancers. She would rather die than submit to slavery.

"Look, boss. Little woman come to beg for mighty Nem'ro's attention."

"Be polite, Carnus. This bounty hunter has been sweeping the filth from my town's lovely streets. Excuse him, he lacks manners. You stand in the court of Nem'ro. All you see in Jiguuna is under my authority. Welcome."

She would bow and scrape to no one, but she knew she had to play nice. "Thank you, Nem'ro. I am pleased that you are willing to see me."

Nem'ro scratched his chest. "I am told you are seeking sponsorship into the Great Hunt. I can provide that. But why should I? Mako says you are a famous bounty hunter – that hardened men run and hide just hearing your name. But Mako says a lot of things."

"Mako may have stretched the odd detail, but I am what I need to be," she told him straight up. Lying was unworthy. But omission was permissible.

"Ha…An honest bounty hunter? What next? A funny jedi?"

She wasn't sure if she should be offended or laugh. She chose to ignore the barb about her people. Manalorian honor did not always align with what others saw as honor. "I had a brief encounter with a funny jedi. So at least one exists," she pointed out.

"Some things have to be seen to be believed. You want to prove you are this fearsome manhunter? I will give you that chance. The first head you will bring me is that of an evocii – one of those useless, sniveling natives. The evocii sold us this world for trinkets. Now they take up arms against their rightful masters. It's disgusting. One evocaii dares call himself Huttsbane. He raids my holdings in a swamp village. Place his head on my floor. His followers' heads can be left in the village. Go now."

-BREAK ONE-

The evocci in the swamps were very unfriendly. They did not ask why she was there. They did not ask what she wanted. But they did shoot first. That was more than enough for her to play hard ball. She killed a few – those that stopped fighting she left alone. Eventually, one of the survivors was willing tell her where Huttsbane was currently located.

She entered the pre-fab structure, gun drawn.

Huttsbane glared at the armored woman who had a gun trained on him. "Nem'ro found someone with no morals to destroy my village! Are you proud of yourself? Filthy murderer! Will you butcher the women and children as well?"

"You know nothing about me, Huttsbane! I have morals. I have honor." At least she _had_ honor. "I do not kill women or children. I would not have killed the others, but they drew first blood. If I did not shoot back, I'd be dead. They left me no choice. I did not come here for them. They did not need to die. It is your head that has a bounty on it – not theirs."

"Wait!" Baratatta exclaimed. "Perhaps there is another way. The Hutts would slaughter us like criminals, when it is they who have taken what is not theirs."

"Yes," Huttsbane snarled, "This planet was home for evocii long before the Hutts came."

Baratatta held up his hand. "You are a warrior. You must understand why we fight for our birthright."

She spun her blaster and snapped it to her hip. "I do and I would fight to the death for my homeworld. Nem'ro claims this planet was sold to him, but that doesn't matter to me. Hutts are slimy, greedy slugs. One day, a blaster bolt will burn a hole through his head."

"See, Huttsbane? Not all outsiders bow before the Hutts."

"Bow? Never. I tolerate him because I need something from him. A favor for a favor, so to speak. But I'd sooner put a bullet in him as to look at him."

Baratatta nodded. "You are here for Huttbane's head, but Nem'ro does not know one evocii from antoher. Dead warriors' heads all look alike to him…"

Icy cold anger bit into Huttsbane. "You would desecrate our dead and give it to this…to an outsider?"

Deceiving Nem'ro. She'd do it in heartbeat…if she could get away with it. "I'm all for sticking it to Nem'ro…and Nem'ro may not be that smart…but even he will realize I didn't kill Huttsbane if he keeps raiding."

"No," Baratatta replied with a shake of his head, "From this day forward, our young warrior will aid his people from the shadows."

"No!" Huttsbane growled. "There is no honor in making deals and butchering our own dead."

"No there's not," she agreed. "But they are already dead. The sacrifice will save your life. There is a bounty on you. Even if I didn't take it, many more would come. You would never be safe and the next bounty hunter wouldn't take the time to reason with you, because credits are all they care about. You are alive…Support your people…care for your people. Baratatta is giving you a second chance – don't waste it."

"She speaks wisely, Huttsbane. Today we must place survival above honor. Outsider – will you take the head of a dead warrior as a substitute?" Baratatta inquired.

"Of course."

"Good. Give me a moment…"

She watched him leave and turned her gaze to Huttsbane. "I know you are angry. I know you do not like what's happening to your people. I wouldn't either. But you've been given a second chance. Use it wisely for your people. And if you want to piss on the Hutts then don't be seen."

Baratatta returned and dropped the bagged head. It hit the floor with a wet thunk. "Here is the head of a fallen warrior. Nem'ro's a great fool. He will accept it as Huttbane's. Now please go."

"You have killed many warriors today. Do not return here," Huttsbane grumbled.

She bent down to pick up the head, making sure to hold it away from her. "For what it's worth – I'm sorry any of your people had to die. I did not want their deaths. They should not be so quick to shoot. I was no threat to them. I do wish your people the best."

"Go in peace," Baratatta said quietly. They had dead to morn and bury.

After she slipped out of the village, she took out her holo-communicator and called Mako. "How are you holding up, Mako?"

"Better, now that I've got a lead. The man that killed Braden really is Tarro Blood, a big shot from Alderaan. After he washed out of the last Great Hunt, Tarro spent years building up support with the Mandalorians. As you know, the Great Hunt is a Mandalorian tradition. Entry rules are different for your people than other bounty hunters – which I suppose you are now. Since Tarro's a Mandalorian, he competes with them to enter. Now he's buying off the other Mandalorians so they don't gang up on him again."

"A coward and a thief," Sylver scoffed. "This scum dies."

Mako found herself grinning. The moment she realized it, the smile slipped. "That's what I like to hear. For now, concentrate on impressing Nem'ro. That's the only way you're going to get close to Tarro. Oh – and one more thing….While I was out taking care of…saying goodbye to Braden and Jory…I caught someone following me. He was dressed like some offworld tribesman. Tall. Wore a white bone mask, like a death's head."

A stalker? That was not sit well. Not on her watch. "Did he try anything?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head, "but he could tell I spotted him. Anyway, eyes open. Go show that Hutt who the best bounty hunter in the galaxy is."

She snapped the communicator back on her magbelt. On the way to Nem'ro's entertainment room she caught sight of a new face. A twi'lek was seated at a desk outside of Nem'ro's chamber. She spoke briefly with the woman, who turned out to be far nicer than she'd expected. Her name was Juda and she was the paymaster. To get in good with Nem'ro, she imagined she'd be getting to know the twi'lek rather well. She wished the woman well and headed in to see Nem'ro.

"She smells like dead savage," Carnus commented, sounding more pleased than normal.

"Then it's true," Nem'ro acknowledged. "You killed the famed Huttsbane. Tell me of your hunt."

Really? Honor demanded she not lie. "You asked for a head. I went and got it," she replied.

He studied his fingers for a moment and then leveled a look on the bounty hunter. "So simple, was it? One time might be luck…Your next target will not be so easy to reach, though he shouldn't put up much of a fight when you find him. That upstart, Fa'athra, lays claim to things that are mine. He moves against my factories, sends his scum to make trouble in Jiguuna. Yalt, my foolish accountant, thinks Fa'athra is becoming a stronger Hutt than Nem'ro. He works for Fa'athra now - at the factory in the Rust Yards. The accountant must die for his betrayal."

That did not sit well with her. That was not an honorable killing. "Let me guess, you want his head on your floor?" she asked dryly.

"You know me so well." Nem'ro scratched his chest. "But the head is not for me. Take his head to the cantina. Yalt's wife works there. She encouraged his disloyalty to me. His head is her reward."

Well, hell. "Can you tell me more about where Yalt is?"

"Fa'athra protects Yalt behind a blast-proof security door, but someone smart like you will find a way in. Go – show Yalt what it means to cross Nem'ro."

"Bounty Hunter," Carnus pointed to her as if she wouldn't know he was talking to her, despite being the only bounty hunter in the room. "See Juda when you want credits. She pay you for the dead savage."

"Yes, I am aware." Full of disgust, she turned away from the dais strode quickly from the chamber. She stopped by Juda's desk to collect her pay. She was once again treated with kindness and caring. How did such a woman end up working for a Hutt? Perhaps, one day she would ask her.

She thought over how to reach the account that sealed behind a security door. She would have to cut the power, because she doubted she'd be able to slice the controls. She could use Mako right about now, but wouldn't want to risk her life. So…she'd just have to hit the generators that powered the door. With a plan in mind, she left the palace and headed to the coordinates she'd been sent.

When she entered the building, she was surprised to see what appeared to be a jedi and a zabrak taking out Fa'athra's security. With a grin she jumped into the fray to assist them. If she was wrong and that was a sith…no…the layered tunic and pants…the pale blue lightsaber – had to be a jedi. But why was a jedi on Hutta. Though she supposed Hutta was certainly in need of a jedi's justice.

She glanced up the stairs when the last man fell. No…that unsavory business could wait a bit. She snapped her blasters to her magbelt and studied the two that were walking towards her. The jedi was had a strange sable hair color that sported both brown and blond highlights and he wore dark glasses that even light couldn't penetrate. The zabrak's tattoos emphasized his attractive, tan, chiseled face. He had two main horns, similar to two small devil's horns, and about six smaller ones that his tousled brown hair did a rather good job hiding. His emerald eyes were striking. "Name's Sylver Wren," she told them.

The jedi tilted his head, a small smile ghosted over his lips. "I am Xocha Lirr and my companion is Torik Starn. We are here to free the slaves. I hope that you do not intend to stop us," he said, not unkindly.

"I have no love for the Empire and I do not condone slavery. Do what you must, I will not interfere," she assured him.

Xocha motioned with his head towards the slaves. "I will help you get the slaves to your ship, my friend...but this is where our paths diverge. The force is pulling me in another direction."

Torik glanced over at the bounty hunter and cocked a brow. "Would it have to do with our new friend?"

"It would."

Torik knew by now that if Xocha intended to tell him anything more, he would have.

She only spared a moment to ensure they were busy with the salves and hurried upstairs. She wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she knew she couldn't do this. An accountant? Her honor was already in the refresher…to kill such a man…she would not be worthy of the Great Hunt. There was no climbing out of the sewer, if she did this.

Once she took out the bodyguards, she snapped her pistols to her belt and frowned at the cowering man. No...she'd have to think of something fast. She would not kill him.

Yalt cowered on his knees and held up his hands. Oh god…no. "Oh no, oh no, no…no…no…I don't want to die. I never meant to betray Nem'ro, but Fa'athra offered me so many credits…then he didn't pay me. He locked me up – threatened to kill my wife if I didn't work my accounting magic for him. I was so stupid. Please, please, please spare me. I'll do anything!"

"Calm down and stand up. I don't want to kill you. Nem'ro wanted me to hand your head to your wife, but I can't do that. But something has to give," she replied.

Hope sprung inside of him. A warmth he hadn't expected to feel again. He and his wife didn't have many years left, but he wanted every last minute with her. "Right. You don't have to kill me. I'll get my wife and leave the planet. But I'll crash Fa'athra's accounts before I go. That will make Nem'ro so happy, he won't care what happened to me."

She frowned and nodded. Unlike what happened to Huttsbane, this was not something she could fake. It would be too suspicious if his wife left Hutta, but it wasn't safe for her to stay either. "I'm not so sure about Nem'ro not caring. But I cannot come up with an alternative. Work your magic, Yalt."

Yalt hurried over to the terminal. He didn't take his attention from what he was doing. "Fa'athra's going to regret what he did to me," he mumbled. With one last keystroke a smile brightened his face. He spun around to face the bounty hunter that was giving him a chance. "Fa'athra just lost thousands of credits, and it's be obvious on the banking records. Nem'ro will be pleased. Can I go?" Please..please don't change your mind.

"Of course. It would be dishonorable for me to lie. Take your wife and disappear," she warned.

"Thank you…thank you. We'll be gone fast." He glanced over at the man that entered the room, tucked his head down and kept going.

Xocha unfolded his arms from his chest. He thought he'd have to intervene. "You have surprised me, Sylver. You are a bounty hunter, are you not? And you just released your bounty. That is…unprecedented."

She brushed past the jedi and slipped through the door to head back downstairs. "Not for me. There would have been no honor in his death. Are you following me?" she asked when the jedi kept pace with her.

He was more than sure she did not like the idea of him tagging along, but as a mirlaluka he was deeply tied to the force with all his senses, except the one he lacked – sight. This…with her …is where he needed to be. "Yes. The force has guided me to you and with you I will remain until it guides me elsewhere," he informed her.

She pulled up sharply, coming to a stop, her head swinging up to glare at him. "Are you saying you're staying with me? Do I look like some simpering damsel in distress? I'm a Mandalorian, jedi – I don't need coddled or protected! Did you hear that? MANDALORIAN. Aren't you supposed to try to kill me or something?"

"That was…a lot of questions. Would you like the long answers of the short version?" he inquired calmly.

"Short," she spat out.

He blinked, his lips twitching. "Yes. No. Yes. And why?" -

Now it was her turn to blink. Was he for real? Another jedi with a sense of humor. "Are you sure you're a jedi?" She shook her head and blew out a harsh breath. "Long version," she growled in exasperation.

He inclined his head to her. "I am not a jedi…exactly. I am a miraluka. My people have our own educational organization. But I work closely with the Jedi Order and have even been both teacher and student to the jedi. The force has guided me to you and I will remain with you. I am not here to coddle you or protect you. Though, I will do either if needed. However, I am here because this is where I am meant to be at this time. Finally, why would I kill you? Is there some sort of law stating jedi and mandalorians must kill each other on sight? If so, such laws diminish us all. Killing is always a last resort – and only if there is no other option. Have I answered all your questions, Sylver?"

Mira – "Wait! If you are miraluka does that mean you are…"

"Blind?" He asked with a grin. "Yes and no. I cannot distinguish colors – so I am color blind, but I otherwise see better than sighted beings. I can see a being's aural alignment. You, for instance," he said softly as she studied the swirling glow that surrounded her, "While you have been touched by darkness, you do not let it define you. You are, inherently, a good person. I can see structures, the living, the dead. I can see through walls and doors to some degree. Everything glows – though the glow has no color."

He saw more than she'd expected. She knew next to nothing about his race, but it was still fascinating. She looked off in the distance, spotted the merchants she'd passed earlier and started walking in that direction. "So, the world around is like a hologram?" she asked, trying to get a better grasp.

"I'm unsure how to answer that question," he admitted as he fell into step beside her. "I have not seen a hologram."

"Of course. I did not think that question out very well. But your description reminded me a lot of holos. Why do you wear glasses? Do you look…unsettling under them? Sorry – not my business," she amended quickly. She wondered if they had gaping holes where eyes would be or if their face was slate blank and smooth as if their eyes slid off their face. Now she was just being ridiculous.

"I do not find myself unsettling, but we are well aware that many species do. So, most of us cover up what we are lacking when we are offworld so as to not make others feel uncomfortable in our presence," he admitted.

She glanced over at him briefly and then leveled her gaze on the merchant booths. "I would not feel uncomfortable. My uncle lost one of his eyes. After it was healed, he chose not to cover it. He would even shove all sorts of things in the socket if he drank too much," she said with a shudder.

"What if I told you that when I was younger, I did something so that it was not so noticeable that I was different? I had been working offworld, had too much to drink and my friends talked me into…something. Come to find out, the lack of blinking freaked people out more than having no eyes."

Wait…what? She came to an abrupt halt and turned to face him. "What do you mean? What were you talked into?" Normally, she wouldn't have asked – it wasn't her business, but he brought it up – and what did he mean by lack of blinking?

He felt his cheek tick with his indecision. He released a harsh breath and pried the tight glasses from his face. He could see the stunned look on her face, but she didn't pull away. In fact, she removed her glove and reached up. He stood still as her finger feathered across his skin.

She could believe she found a beautiful pair of honey colored, half-lidded, sensual eyes underneath the glasses, Eyes that looked directly at her. Eyes that did not blink. She pulled off her protective glove and reached up to touch one of his eyes. She expected to see the lid close as her finger drew near, but it did not. Because as real as it looked, right down to small wrinkles, slight veins and eyelashes, it was only a tattoo…a very life-like tattoo, but still just a tattoo. "They are stunning. And they are striking with your beautiful, long, sable hair." She could feel the heat in her cheeks. She shouldn't have touched him without permission. "I apologize for touching you without asking." And before she could stop herself, she stuck her tongue out at him. Yes, the tough Mandalorian that wanted to get her honor back, just stuck her tongue out at a blind man.

He chuckled softly. "I do not mind the touch of a beautiful woman. But I must know…are you younger than I thought or was that an invitation to kiss you?"

Her cheeks felt like water would sizzle if it landed on them. That had been childish, but in her defense, she didn't think he'd see it and she wanted to do something that wouldn't alert him to movement. It was the only thing she could come up with. But still…his words…he looked like a jedi – but did not talk like one. "Kiss me…" Why would he think…and then he was. She hadn't meant to stop her sentence, but his words had surprised her. And then she stopped thinking altogether as his lips and tongue made love to her mouth. She'd never been kissed like that. She'd had a couple of drunk kisses that just made her giggle, but nothing that made her insides tingle.

He'd been stunned when she actually _did_ ask him to kiss her. It had been far too long since he'd enjoyed a simple pleasure of a woman's kiss. He pulled back, his thumb caressing her soft cheek. "I would not be averse to another invitation some time."

Neither would she. Not that she would ever say that. She resumed their journey at a faster clip as she shoved the glove over fingers that wanted to touch her tingling lips. "I will keep that in mind." When they reached the merchants, she bought a bag and few other items and then took his arm and led him a shadowed corner between a wall and a merchant's tent. "Here," she said as she handed him the bag. "If you intend to stay near me then you can't walk around Hutta looking like a jedi. You need to blend in so we don't draw unwanted attention." She spun around, giving him her back so that he could change.

"That is kind of you, Sylver. I am so used to my clothing, I did not think about it." He pulled off his tunic and pants and slipped into the clothing she'd purchased for him. She did a decent job eyeing the fit. The pants fit him a bit snugger than he was used to, but they were not uncomfortable in the slightest. The shirt was clean and soft, the jacket looked to have been made from a sturdy leather. He slipped his old clothing into the bag and slung it over his shoulder. "I am dressed."

She turned at his words and scanned his new attire. Wow. Nice. She turned and walked away. "You dress down well – at least now we won't have every Empire loving idiot gunning for us."

He caught up with her, still trying to digest what she'd said. Empire loving idiot. It was the second time she'd spoken out against the Empire. "Don't mandalorians typically side with the Empire?"

More times than not that was true. But circumstances change…people change. "This one doesn't. But I don't know you well enough to share that story."

He was a patient man. "And why is it that you do not wear a helmet?"

Because she'd left it behind on the pyre that held her mother, father and brother to symbolize that a part her died with them that day. "That is even more personal. How about you – How long were you with Torik?"

"I have traveled with Torik for four years." He grabbed her hand and leapt backwards with her, a speeder flew through where they'd been a moment ago. "We visit Hutta and Imperial worlds and free the slaves we can find. It is safe to proceed."

She acknowledged his words with a nod and continued their journey. Her suit's proximity sensors would have alerted her to the danger, but at the speed the speeder was moving, it would have been too late. "Vor'e – thanks. Mando'ad draar digu – a Mandalorian never forgets." She did not like owing a debt, but now she owed him one. "Four years is a long time – won't you miss what you were doing? It was a noble cause."

"Nobility can be found in many causes, Sylver."

She shook her head. "Not in my cause. I'm doing tasks I do not like or approve of in order to be sponsored into the Great Hunt. I intend to win and earn back my honor. More than that – you don't need to know. My cause is selfish, not noble. You are better off returning to Torik."

He appreciated the warning, but this was where he needed to be. "And yet, I am still here."

She shrugged. If he planned to hang out with her his halo would likely get rusty. "I see that. Don't say I didn't warn you." She led him into the palace and then came to a stop. "You should wait here. I don't know how Nem'ro would react if I didn't come alone."

He studied the ebb and flow of her aura. "Fine. But I will not remain here if there is danger," he warned.

That was the best she would get from him. With a nod, she turned right down the corridor that would lead to Nem'ro. A female rodian stepped out of the shadows in the room before Juda's.

-BREAK TWO-

Nails pursed her wide lips. "Here is the fraud. Useless weakling Mako pretends is a bounty hunter."

She smiled at the rodian. "The day is a beautiful as it can be on Hutta, you should go enjoy it." The words were warm but laced with warning.

"Don't be high-and-mighty!" Nails sneered. "Not with me! Blood doesn't want you in the Great Hunt. Smart person would take the hint. You're not smart."

"I don't submit to tyranny or bullies. Tell Tarro I'm looking for him. And if you were smart…you'd walk away before Tarro leads you to your grave."

The rodian's head swung back and forth. "I hear all about how your weak master is butchered! Now you have no team – no support."

Xocha had heard enough. "You heard wrong," he said as he strode purposely into the room. "Sylver Wren has a devoted team and she will have her spot on the Great Hunt." The rodian was going to get herself killed and he would stop her foolishness, if he could.

Her blaster swung between the two humans before settling back on the bounty hunter. "Tarro Blood tells me I take you out, he makes sure I get in Great Hunt. Even if I have to let Blood win, just being in Great Hunt is big honor. I think after I go in Great Hunt, I come back and have statue made of me stepping on your head."

"Walk away from this, before it's too late. Your health is more important than a few minutes of glory," Xocha warned, trying to get her to see reason. He saw the roiling of her aura and knew he had no succeeded. He pushed with a slow wave of his hand. "You don't want to hurt anyone – you…"

She shook her head from the cobwebs and yelled at the top of her lungs over the voice in her head. "No! You can't go into Great Hunt if you're dead!"

Sylver dodged the first bolt, her own blaster rose in retaliation. A lightsaber flew through the air, the rodian's head toppled as the weapon returned to the Xocha's hand. "Madness can be stronger than the power of suggestion. It was most unfortunate for her."

"I didn't need help," she hissed with a frown.

"I know that. But I did not wish to risk others walking into a gun fight. Go – meet with Nem'ro. I will wait for you in there," he said, pointing to the room with the twi'lek working at her desk.

"Fine." She just wanted to get this part of her life over and get the hell off Hutta. She waved at Juda and hurried into where the Hutt held court.

"There she is! My spies say Yalt's wife left town as if all the akk dogs on Hutta were after her." Nem'ro puffed up his chest and rotated his shoulders. Things were going just as he'd planned. But he needed to tie up a loose end – a couple of them if things continued to go his way. "I also saw that you crashed Fa'athra's accounts. Above and beyond, bounty hunter. Truly powerful."

"I love you too, Nem'ro. Really," she said dryly.

Nem'ro chuckled. "I'm far too much for _you_, little woman. I have one more simple task for you. Something I need an outsider for. The traitor in my house is my own beastmaster. He plots against me and thinks I do not know. Go to the beast pits and pull the alarm switch. When the beastmaster comes, kill him."

He wanted her down in the beast pits? Did he intend to loose his beasts on her? She didn't trust a Hutt further than she could pick one up and throw it… "Sounds shady, Nem'ro."

Nem'ro scratched his chest. "You don't trust me, bounty hunter? Fight for me and get many credits! Now, go kill that traitor of a beastmaster!"

She stopped to collect her credits from Juda but stayed a few minutes to talk to her. She wished she had enough money to get the twi'lek far away from Hutta, but right now, she was barely scraping by. She bid Juda farewell and Xocha stepped in beside her as she left the room.

"I don't like this. I could hear the deceit in his voice."

"I agree. I don't have the force and I feel it too. But I still need to check it out. Maybe I can work something out with the beastmaster, like I've done with the other jobs he sent me to do." She glanced over at him as they took the lift down to the pits. "Nem'ro's going to have another task or find some other way to screw me over when we survive the pits, isn't he?"

"He's a Hutt," he said simply.

"That pretty much says it all," she murmured. At his chuckle she looked back over at him. "When it's just us – I'd really prefer it if you didn't wear your glasses."

That would have stopped him in his tracks if he'd been moving. "You would?"

"I don't tend to trust people who hide their eyes. I know it's not the same for you – but I'd rather see your unblinking fake eyes than those dark glasses you hide behind." She realized what she said might have been offensive. "I did not mean that in a malicious way. I just meant I am more comfortable with you as you really are than the dark glasses." Was that any better? It sounded better to her own ears, at least.

One corner of his lips pulled up into a lopsided grin. "I'm not offended." He tugged off his glasses and pushed them into a pocket on the interior of his leather jacket. "I do not have them on for my comfort." He nodded towards the lift door a moment before the door slid open. "Let us see what this beastmaster has to say."

The hall leading from the lift angled around and opened up into a large, dirt covered…arena. Bones of various sizes were strewn about the pit. Aggressive animals could be seen through the gates that lined the pit. "This is sick." She had no doubt the caged animals had been neglected, abused and starved to make them more aggressive. There was no honor in this.

She noticed a human standing behind the largest gate. When she reached the gate, she depressed the buzzer to gain his attention.

He came closer to the gate to see who rang. It was the bounty hunter. Good. "You call me just like Nem'ro said you would. So stupid. Now I kill you and Nem'ro give me big reward."

It did not sound like the beastmaster was playing with a full deck. "The only reward Nem'ro wants to give either of us is a one-way ticket to death. He sent me to kill you. I, for one, have no interest in that particular reward – do you?"

She spoke to fast, the words buzzed around his head like bothersome flies. Nem'ro wouldn't kill him. No…she talked trash. "You think you can distract me? So stupid! Free the beasts!" he yelled to his servants.

They turned as the gates started rising. "Mir'osik!" she shouted at the beast master. "Shit for brains – do you think he'll let you live? Haar'chak! Damn it – there is no honor in killing abused animals."

She heard the rumble and grinding of gears and looked up to see the ceiling slide into itself. Nem'ro laughed as he peered down into the pit. She leaned into Xocha. "Can you shoot a blaster?" At his nod, she handed him one of her blasters. "Might be wise to not show off what you can do. We might need that ace up the sleeve at some point."

She palmed her other blaster. They darted around the piles of bones to keep distance between them and the oncoming animals as they took the creatures down one by one. At one point they were back to back, when doors opened on opposite sides of the room at the same time. When there were no more animals left to battle the beastmaster charged them. She wasn't sure what he was thinking. Did he think he could do what a gundark couldn't? The man didn't even have armor on. She really hated killing stupid. Xocha didn't appear to feel the same way. He took the beastmaster down without a blink. A blink? She didn't know why she found that ridiculously funny. A man with no eyes…blinking. It wasn't funny, but she still had to bite back a laugh. In all honesty, she was bone weary. She'd been on the go, non-stop, since she arrived. She needed to eat and she needed to sleep. "Nem'ro has some explaining to do…then, no matter what – food and sleep. In that order."

They took the lift back up. Now that Nem'ro knew about Xocha there was no need to have him wait in the other room. She motioned him to follow her.

Nem'ro raised his arms briefly. "Might hunter! You killed terrible beasts from Hutta and beyond – and the beastmaster, too! Deception was the only way I could eliminate my beastmaster without upsetting things here."

Yeah…whatever. "Fine. I've played your game. I want that sponsorship."

The Hutt licked his bottom lip. "I did not expect you to survive the beast pits. Carnus said you would prevail, but -"

"I hear about little hunter kill spree in rust yards," Carnus interrupted with a satisfied gleam in his eyes.

Nem'ro waved a hand at Carnus. "Yes, I should have listened to you, my friend. Now, what's done is done."

"What have you done?" she growled.

"A representative of the Great Hunt will be here tomorrow. When he arrives, you would merely have to hand him my sponsorship token to enter the Great Hunt. Unfortunately…I already gave the holo-token to someone else. Someone fierce and deadly on Hutta has the sponsorship token. If you want it so badly, find him and take it! Ha!"

The Hutt had played her for the last time. "In the end, Nem'ro – you will get your just deserts."

He burped up a Klatooine paddy frog, caught it in his hand and tossed it back into his mouth. "Yes, yes," the Hutt replied. "If you succeed, I win. If you fail, I still win. Either way, the toughest being on Hutta goes to the Great Hunt with my name! See Juda for compensation regarding that whole beastmaster business."

She settled on the corner of Juda's desk, enjoying the friendly banter. She saw Juda give her a sly look after a glance at Xocha. "It's not like that, Juda."

"I could be," the twi'lek teased.

"Maybe," she shrugged, "but right now my focus is on something else." She turned and caught sight of Mako. She slid of the desk with a wave and sauntered over to the smaller woman. Mako stayed behind the scenes, to see her here caused concern.

"Hey, girl – who's your handsome tail?" Mako inquired.

She glanced at Xocha and noticed he'd put his glasses back on. "Xocha, this is Mako – the only remaining member of my team."

"Hello, Mako – It's a pleasure." His attention returned to Sylver. "And I'm a part of this team now too, Sylver."

"Mako – this is Xocha Lirr…a self-proclaimed member of our team. But, I'm glad he's along for the ride. He may just be our ace up the sleeve."

"Good," she said as she inclined her head to the good-looking man, "because it looks like we'll need one. We've been had. Nem'ro's already sponsored someone for the Great Hunt!"

She nodded. "So he said when I got tired of his games and demanded the sponsorship."

Mako leaned in closer. "I know who got Nem'ro's sponsorship. Token and how to find him. I'll tell you everything – but I want something in return."

She tilted her head. "How much?"

"It won't cost you credits," she said with a shake of her head. "Braden taught me how to fight, and you know I'm great with information. Take me with you - on this hunt and whatever comes after."

Mako was good to have around. She enjoyed her company and she had very useful skills. She wasn't sure why she shot a quick glance towards Xocha, but his slight nod showed his approval. Not that she needed it. "I like the way you think."

"I'm good with a blaster…I need this. Braden was like a father to me. It's not fair that – wait…did you just say yes?" Mako asked in surprise. She had been pretty sure that Sylver preferred to work alone. She had been prepared to wheedle quite a bit more.

She grinned at the kid. "I did, indeed, just say yes, Mako."

Mako beamed a smile at her. "Thank you. Braden always treated me like a child. But I'm not a child. And like you, I want to prove myself."

"I more than understand - and we will prove ourselves together," Sylver assured her.

"Oh – I intercepted a transmission between the trandoshan and - get this – the bone-faced freak who was following me. Remember me warning you about him?" At Sylver's nod, she continued. "I'm going to keep an eye out for any more of those transmissions. In the meantime, we all need to stay alert."

They bunked at the rest house Braden, Jory and Mako had used. Mako had her own room and she was left sharing one with Xocha. But at least there were two beds. She removed her armor and laid it next to her bed – Braden's bed. She thought she'd have time to switch her underarmor for lounging clothes, but she heard the door slide open just as she was sliding up her pants. She quickly pulled the shirt over her head, settled it in place and tried to cool her cheeks with her icy fingers.

She glanced around the room to delay looking at him and noticed Braden's armor. Armor he hadn't worn at least since her arrival on Hutta. Armor that might have saved his life if he'd worn it. She laid it, along with the thin underarmor out next to Xocha's bed. "Come morning, you should wear that. The clothing I got for you is fine during down times, but artillery can run hot around me and you need armor that can protect you. The helmet will lock onto the belt when you don't wish to wear it." She wiped at a mark on the chestplate. "It belonged to Braden – it might have saved him if he'd worn it," she said quietly. She wasn't as close to him as Mako had been, but she'd gotten to know him rather well when she'd first met him and he'd talked her into the Great Hunt. She wasn't sure how Braden ended up with mando armor and she didn't ask.

When she turned to look at him, he'd already removed his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair. His shirt was stretched tight across his chest and she swallowed hard. "Let me show you how it works," she said, her voice a bit huskier than she wanted. When he stepped in close to her, she picked up the gauntlet and then settled her back against his chest and raised his arm so that she could see the micro terminal in the same way that he could. "Watch what I'm doing – you're getting a crash course in mando suits.

She discovered it was hard to ignore the heat of his body pressed against hers. She cleared her throat and showed him how to regulate the temperature inside the suit, how to boost shielding, activate the jetpack and use the mini darts that were stored within the gauntlet. After he was able to adjust the settings instinctively, she showed him how to release the armor clamps. The gauntlet dropped onto the pile of armor and rolled down, bumping into their ankles. Neither of them moved. Was it getting warm in here? Had time come to a stop? She just wasn't sure anymore.

His hands settled on her upper arms and he leaned his head down. "Thank you," he said softly. "I'll wear the armor tomorrow if that is your wish." He felt her shiver against him and heard her heart's beat quicken. Still, she said nothing…did nothing, though he knew she wanted him. He needed her to do something to encourage him. When she didn't his lips grazed the soft skin where her neck curved into her shoulder, released her and backed away. "We should order food and turn in."

That brought her back to reality in a blink. Time resumed its normal speed. They ordered food, ate, talked a bit about themselves and then settled in to their very separate beds. She couldn't say sleep came easy – it didn't. He'd made her too curious about sexual matters.

Come morning, they pulled on their underarmor with their backs to each other, took turns in the refresher and then headed to the kitchen to fix breakfast. They found Mako up and already busy at a terminal

Mako looked up as they entered the room. "Good morning. I was able to get more information on Rarsk…the one who has Nem'ro's sponsorship token. He is collecting on a bounty Fa'athra the Hutt is holding for him. A Republic scientist or something. All we have to do is break into Fa'athra's ridiculously well-guarded palace in the swamp, find the scientist ourselves and set a trap for Rarsk."

Sylver nodded. "And when Rarsk shows up, we take his sponsorship token. Good plan, Mako."

The young woman smiled. "There's a bonus too. Bounties in Fa'athra's palace. Which means credits to get off this mud rock."

"About that….there is something I am hoping you will be able to do. Vexx had a ship. He won't need it now. But if you can slice the identa-chip then we can use that to get offworld. It's a smaller starship, but it will fit the three of us just fine. I'm sending you the ships coordinates. His goons have been cleaned out, you should be able to work in peace."

That was the best news Mako had heard in a long time. She was itching to get off Hutta. "I can do that if you two want to go after Rarsk. Here," she said, handing Sylver a small disk. "There is a slot on your holo for it. If I get done in time, I will trace it's signature and join you."

Sylver pulled out her holo and grinned when she found the slot. She slid the disk in, flipped on the communicator and pressed a small button near the chip. A holomap appeared and she saw every lifesource pop, Mako's in blue. "Nice. Vor'e. I can find you as well. We'll need to get another one of those disks for Xocha."

"Yup! We will be able to locate each other." She pulled another disk from her pocket and held it out to Xocha. Those disks had been Braden and Jory's but they didn't need them anymore. She pushed that thought away. She couldn't afford to break down. She would do whatever it took to Sylver into the Great Hunt. "If you are sure you want to be part of the team…"

He took the offered chip and slid it into his communicator as he'd witnessed Sylver do. "The force guides me and it has led me to Sylver. This is where I am needed. It is where I am meant to be."

"The force?" Mako asked in shock and then looked up at Sylver in concern.

"Not a sith," he assured the small woman.

Sylver placed a hand on Xocha's forearm to get his attention. "You okay with all of this, Xocha?"

He settled his larger hand over hers and gave it a reassuring pat. "While our definitions of honor may vary to some degree, you are an honorable sort and I stand at your side."

Mako cocked a brow as she took in the touch and the looks on their faces. "Are you two together," she asked as she motioned between them.

"Of course," he replied without hesitation. Hadn't he just said that he would stand at Sylver's side?

Sylver slid her hand out from under his. She had no doubt her cheeks were rosy red against her pale skin. "She meant are we a couple…lovers…and no we are not."

Mako's laugh was light and lilting. She'd caught the blush that deepened both of their cheeks. "It doesn't take a genius to see you two have a connection. There is much to be said for being friends with benefits. I know that first hand. It doesn't have to get…messy, if you focus on your friendship. And if either of you find someone else, then you will still have that friendship." She shrugged. "It's up to you – but life has no guarantee that you will see the next day, so live it while you can. There's no shame in two consenting, single friends seeking warmth, companionship and stress relief in each other."

"Yes…well, thank you, Mako. It will be nice to have a ship at our disposal." Why did Mako have to open her mouth and put thoughts in her head? Her fingers rose to touch her lips, remembering the tingle from the kiss he'd given her. "K'oyacyi! – come back safely, Mako." She didn't like saying goodbye to friends. So she told them to stay alive instead.

He hadn't heard the term friends with benefits, but he understood the concept. He found the idea intriguing, especially after the hard night's sleep. It had been six years since he'd known the pleasure only a woman could give and he wanted to share that pleasure with Sylver. He already knew he cared about Sylver. If they shared a bed, it would strengthen that bond – but he also knew she was not the woman of his heart. He would know if she was, wouldn't he? He knew that she returned that interest. He could scent her interest in him and they were standing close enough in the empty room that he could hear the blood pounding rapidly through her heart, like it had last night. They rose from the table at the same time. He lifted a hand and cupped the side of her face, his fingers settling against the back of her neck. When she didn't back away, he pulled her against him and captured her lips. After a kiss that heated his blood, he pulled back enough to look down at her. "Do you want this too?" he murmured against her lips. "This…friends with benefits…finding comfort in each other for now?"

Did she want it? She'd never been with a man before. A couple of stolen, drunk kisses that left her feeling nothing. But Xocha made her tingly and warm inside. She couldn't see herself spending the rest of her life with him, he wasn't mando'ad – but that wasn't what he was suggesting. And she certainly didn't want to die without knowing the pleasure between a man and a woman. "Kiss me again – later, and we will see how it feels then….provided you take off those damned glasses."

He chuckled and brushed his lips against hers. "That I can do." He had to admit he was looking forward to warming her bed. He'd only been with two other women. Friendships that grew into something more, but they'd mutually moved on and maintained their friendships. They were by no means as close as they were before they got involved, but they all knew they could count on each other in a pinch. But warming the bed of a new friend, knowing it wouldn't go further…that was not something he'd never contemplated before. He also wasn't so naïve as to believe there weren't risks involved with such a coupling. He knew that acts of physical love could eventually lead to an emotionally binding love for either one or both of them, but it was a risk he was willing to take. He'd known it the moment his lips first touched hers with a teasing kiss that had become more. "Let us find Rarsk and get this over with. I do not like this planet."

"You and me, both," she murmured.

-BREAK THREE-

Back in their bedroom, she helped him clamp on his armor and he practiced what he'd learned by clamping her armor on. He grazed his lips against hers and settled the helmet over his head until it hissed and clamped tight. Because of how he _saw_ what was around him, the helmet didn't infringe on his vision at all. Though, he didn't much care for something covering his head. But with blaster bolts flying, it was necessary. "We need to get you a helmet soon."

She nodded. "I'll have to get one at the fleet hub…My suit requires a special make of helmet or it will not seal properly."

He did not ask questions. He knew she would tell him about her story…her helmet, when she was ready.

After they left the rest home she stopped at a weapon's merchant and bought him a vibroblade and a blaster. Or she'd intended to, but brushed her hand aside and paid for the weapons himself.

"I understand the need for the weapons. You wish to keep my abilities concealed for now. Since they are to be mine, it is my responsibility to pay for them," he told her. He handed her blaster back to her and examined his new weapons. The vibroblade looked thin and lethal. It was heavier than his lightsaber, but felt comfortable in his grip. The blaster was larger and heavier than the one he'd borrowed from her, but it felt better in his larger palm. While these were not his weapons of choice, it was prudent for him to have a low profile while he was not on a Republic allied world.

She nodded. She could understand that. She was going to pay for them because they were her idea not his. But she understood his desire to pay his own way. She respected that. Money was not something she was lacking. The wealth of her branch of the Wren now belonged solely to her. They had done well on their bounties and yes…even the crops they'd planted. Her ancestors spit from the rest of Wren because they got tired of warring and killing without reason. Her family fought worthy enemies that wanted to fight. They did not force war on peoples that wanted peace. And they did not start battles where both contestants were not eager and willing. There was no honor in killing someone that only sought to defend himself or his family. If an enemy sought to surrender, they allowed it – unless that enemy was known for deception. But the enemy, if released, owed an honor debt that had to be repaid. Other mando'ad had welcomed their strength if not their ideals. "Now we are ready."

Apparently, Fa'athra's soldiers knew who she was on sight. Guess there weren't too many white haired mandalorians wearing silver and white armor on Hutta. Go figure. It sort of felt like they'd kicked the hornet's nest. Half the time they were forced to fight back to back. By the time they reached Fa'athra's inner palace they worked together as if they'd been a team for years. If anyone noticed Xocha was batting away blaster bolts with his vibroblade while shooting his blaster, no one called him out on it. Perhaps because they did not survive long enough to.

"Wait!" Mako cried out.

Sylver turned, the smile never slipped from her face as she raised her blaster.

Mako came to an abrupt halt. "What did I-" The blaster bolt flew past her shoulder and she spun around to see a man thrown back by the impact and then fell more gracefully to the ground than she thought possible. "Oh…thank you. I wasn't sure I'd catch up to you in time."

"I'd say you were just in time. I think that's our bait right in there," she said as she motioned to the woman in the room on her right. Since she's alive, that means we beat Rarsk."

Albea's mouth fell open. Since she was alive? Someone wanted her dead? "Stay back!" she warned. "I've got a…a…well, guess I don't have much of anything right now. Why am I here? Who wants me dead?"

Xocha held up his hands to show no ill will. "You are safe with us, ma'am. We are not here to hurt you and we are not with Fa'athra."

"Nope," Mako said with a grin, "in fact, we just killed a whole bunch of them – or they did," she motioned to Sylver and Xocha. Wait – that made them sound like bloodthirsty thugs. "But don't worry – like he said, we not gonna kill you," she amended quickly. "Lady, there's a bounty hunter coming to take you to the Empire – where you'll probably die or least be tortured."

The woman's cry of terror signaled Sylver that it was her turn to speak out. "Mako, dear…you are terrifying the woman. You may wish to leave the diplomacy to me, or better yet…Xocha."

"Right," Mako agreed, her cheeks heating up.

"We'll protect you when he shows up, ma'am," Xocha assured her.

Albea looked at three well-armed people. They looked like they could protect her, but still… "I'm not cut out for this. Please let me go…I'll do anything to -"

"He's here," Xocha murmured quietly as he drew his vibroblade and blaster.

"Hello, soft things," Rarsk rumbled as he entered the room, blaster raised. "I see many Fa'athra servants are dead. Give me scientist female, and you will not join them."

Sylver grinned, as cocky as ever. "I've never killed a…what is it again, Mako?"

"Trandoshan…rhymes with dead meat," Mako replied with a grin of her own.

"I have a better offer," Xocha told him. "Turn over your sponsorship token and leave before more blood is spilt."

"You are stupid even for soft things. Rarsk will tear out your heart and feed it to a tiny rodent," he snarled.

"You are young and thus unwise, consider your actions carefully, Rarsk," Xocha warned.

"Scorekeeper – watch me!"

But he was down before he could fire a shot, a knife buried deep in his eye. Sylver walked to the downed trandoshan, pocketed the token and pulled the knife out. She wiped it on him and then returned it to Xocha. "I believe this is yours."

He snapped the knife to his magbelt, where several more could be seen, slipped his arm around her waist and drew her to the side. "I can use my power to throw them without giving myself away."

She unsealed his helmet, pulled it off his head and then brushed her lips against his. "That was sexy as sin," she murmured.

"I knew it!" Mako said as she clapped her hands in glee.

She thrust his helmet into his hands and turned to the scientist, completely ignoring Mako's outburst. "Are you okay?"

"That – that was brutal. But I owe you my thanks."

"Got that right, girl. We're the heroes of the day – or at least he is, since he didn't let us get a shot off," she grumbled.

Albea rubbed her hands together nervously. "So, what happens now?"

Unlike many other mando'ad, she didn't look down on people who did not know how to fight. Not everyone was cut out for that. People are proficient in different things – there's no shame in doing what you are good at. "There's a shuttle port in town – I suggest you take the first shuttle out and lay low somewhere until the bounty on you goes away."

"Thank you so much! I'll find it..I'll leave."

"Here," Mako said as she handed the scientist a blaster. "I've got a holdout blaster – just in case. It's small, but it packs a punch. It will see you safely off Hutta…Now get moving."

"Thank you again…all of you," Albea replied before she made a run for the door.

"Come on," Sylver motioned with her hand, "We need to head back to Nem'ros' palace. The port's not far from there…we should at least follow her to make sure she gets there safely."

Xocha grinned. "You are a remarkable woman, Sylver. Don't let anyone change you." He lowered the helmet over his head and released a breath when he heard the seal hiss closed.

They stayed close enough to her to watch her back, but far enough that she wouldn't immediately notice them. They only had to take out one man that tried to grab her from behind. She never even knew she was in danger. "Re'turcye mhi," she whispered as they hung a left at the palace and she ran straight to reach the port.

"Very well, Nem'ro. When the trandoshan returns I shall…ah, I see we have a new player in the game after all," Grataa remarked when he saw the trio enter, the white-haired woman leading the others.

Mako pulled her blaster. "That's the bone-masked creep that followed me. Get him!"

Nem'ro's laugh was loud and booming. "Little Mako – so fiery!"

Grataa inclined his head towards the leader. "Hunter, allow me to apologize if I spooked your young friend."

"Mako," she motioned with her hand to lower her blaster. "There are times when diplomacy is more productive than violence."

Xocha beamed behind his helmet. She was unlike any Mandalorian that he'd ever come into contact with.

Grataa turned his attention to the small, darker-haired woman. "I regret that I startled you, young woman. I was pursuing another quarry when we crossed paths. It was him I was following - he was following you." He glanced at the armored man and then leveled his gaze on the white-haired woman who looked somewhat familiar to him, though he wasn't sure how. "I am Grataa. It is my honor to represent the Great Hunt. I have been investigating possible malfeasance by one Tarro Blood."

Sylver frowned. "Him…yes. He slaughtered my crew to keep me out of the Hunt."

"Yes, I am aware. I regret that I arrived too late to intervene. I reviewed your security holorecording and witnessed the murder of your teammates by Tarro's men. While dishonorable, the attack wasn't technically against the rules. Unless Tarro attacks another competitor directly, he cannot be punished."

"Tarro's too big a coward to take me on," Sylver snarled.

"Be cautious accusing mandalorians of cowardice. They do not take such insults lightly," Grataa warned.

"Of that there is no doubt. In fact, I'm counting on it." She wondered what he would say if he learned she was mando'ad.

Grataa studied her for a moment. Why did she seem familiar to him? "I will continue to closely monitor Tarro Blood's activities. If he breaks the Great Hunt rules, he will pay for it."

"One way or another, Tarro will pay," she stated without hesitation.

"You're the best," Mako whispered.

"You have my token and recognition as the most fearsome hunter on Hutta," Nem'ro put forth, getting entirely too bored with how slowly things were progressing.

"Indeed," the kaleesh replied with an incline of his head. "You have proven yourself worthy of the Great Hunt. But the competition is only beginning. From here you must go to Dromund Kaas – the Imperial capital." He held his hand out. "These are your shuttle passes."

She swallowed hard at the thought of Dromund Kaas and waved her hand. "We have a ship, but vo – thank you all the same."

Mako looked over at Xocha, who was wearing Braden's armor. It still freaked her out to see his armor walking around. "We are on our way, girl. I wish Braden could see us now."

"He and Jory are proud of us all. They are living through us. Hang on to that, Mako," she said quietly.

"When you arrive on Dromund Kaas, seek the Huntmaster in the Mandalorian enclave. He will answer all your questions about the Great Hunt."

She inclined her head to the kaleesh. "I assume we'll see you later?"

"You may count on it…hunter."

"Yes," Nem'ro boomed. "Go to the Great Hunt and spread the glory of Nem'ro the Hutt."

"You may wish you had not said that, Hutt. I don't lie," Sylver warned.

"Good hunt," Grataa told her.

"Re – goodbye, Grataa." She turned and hurried out before he could analyze the words she'd almost said. She stopped to say her farewells to Juda. She would miss the soft spoken, upbeat twi'lek. "Let's go pack up, so we can leave this rock."

Once inside the rest house, Sylver warned Xocha. "Stay in your armor until we are on the ship. Then we can get comfortable. Hutta is too volatile right now and I'm carrying something every bounty hunter in the galaxy is after."

"Sound advice." He stuffed what little he had in the bag and slung it over his shoulder. He then grabbed her bag and settled it on his other shoulder.

"I can carry my own bag," she groused.

"You can, but I am. You will move faster unencumbered. I can fall back on the force if need be," he reminded her.

She didn't like it, but until they were safely on the ship, she had to be at the top of her game. "You are right. We didn't make it this far just to lose at the finish line.

They rented speeders to get to the closest rental pad to the small docking bay that Vexx's ship was sitting in. When the ramp closed behind them a sense of relief flooded through her. She took a quick tour of the ship so she would be familiar with it. It was small, but doable. There was the captain's cabin, and a small crew cabin with six bunks. A refresher with four shower heads and three toilets, a kitchen, a battery to control the weapons and a lounge/entertainment room. The rest of the ship was for cargo. And that led to the decision she had to make. Either give Xocha the captain's cabin and share the crew quarters with Mako or have Xocha share the captain's cabin with her.

"Go," Mako said as she shoved them both out of the crew quarters. "Get out of my room. I want to change into something more comfortable."

The door whooshed shut and locked behind them. She darted a quick glance up at Xocha and hurried to the captain's quarters. She quickly claimed the side of the bed she wanted by setting her bag on that side. She slipped a nightshirt under her pillow and put what little she had in the armoire. "There is room for your stuff as well," she said as she folded her bag and set it in the armoire too, still avoiding looking at him.

She turned away and started unsealing the armor pieces that made up her suit. She'd only gotten her gauntlets removed and settled in the bottom of the armoire when she felt him at her back helping her to remove her armor.

"It is good practice for me, yes?" he asked quietly as he unclamped her backplate from her chest plate and raised it over her head. He kept his movements strictly professional. This wasn't a seduction, it was muscle memory. He did need the practice so that it became second nature. If he was to wear armor while he was with her, he needed to be able to get into and out of it quickly. That required practice. Knowing that still didn't make the actions any less sensual to him. Neither did the bed that took up so much of the cabin.

When he'd removed her last boot and set it in the armoire, she started helping him off with his armor. After the last piece of his armor was settled on his side of the armoire, she found herself staring at his lips. She blinked and took a step back, grabbing a pair of pants and a shirt. She moved to her side of the bed and turned her back to him as she removed her underarmor and pulled on her pants and shirt. By the time she stepped into a pair of shoes and turned around he already had his pants on.

She hissed out a breath when she saw a wicked scar that ran down his right ribs nearly to his navel. She didn't even realize she was moving towards him until her finger feathered down the scar. "What happened?" she asked softly.

The shirt slipped from his fingers, hitting the floor with the barest whisper of material. "I stepped between a Darth and his target. Considering the Darth didn't survive, I like to believe I got off lucky. I couldn't get to a kolto tank to heal the wound fast enough. It is a part of who I am now."

"There is a kolto flush in the suit…" her words were little more than a breath.

"I know." Her fingers were still playing over the sensitive skin of his scar, driving him to distraction. He knew the moment she saw his erection and just how close her fingertips were to touching it. Her body stilled and she sucked in her breath. He gritted his teeth to bite back a groan when her finger slid down the sable trail of hair to touch the tip of him through his pants.

The rumble of the engine brought reality slamming back into her. "Osik! I'm not sure Mako knows how to fly a starship." She darted from the cabin but returned to the doorway because she refuses to be a coward and not face him. "I apologize for…bumping you." Good enough. She hurried away trying to pretend she didn't hear his laughter. Better laughter than to be thought a coward. She was not a coward – but she was embarrassed.

"Mako…do you know how to fly a starship?" she inquired as she stepped into the cockpit.

"I didn't think it would be that different than flying a shuttle, but I'm not sure what half these gizmos do," she admitted.

"That's what I thought. Why don't you slide over to the navigator's chair and let me pilot the ship," she replied with a soft laugh. Once she was settled in the pilot's seat, she ran through the pre-flight checkup and then radioed her coordinates to the port and asked for clearance to take off. In a moment, they were zipping through the atmosphere.

Mako looked over at Sylver with a knowing glance. "I thought you two might be…busy for a while."

She set the coordinates, engaged the hyperdrive and switched on the auto-pilot. It would route them around incoming ships and warn them when they were about to drop out of hyperspace. They would have to make several stops to refuel before they reached their destination. The trip would likely take a couple of weeks or more. "I don't know, Mako." She turned to look behind them to make sure Xocha wasn't there. "I don't know what I'm doing and I feel foolish. I don't like feeling like a fool."

Mako's brows rose. Sylver was a virgin. That did surprise her. With the amount of alcohol mandos regularly guzzled down, she figured the woman had plenty of experience. "I know it's embarrassing, but talk to him. I don't think he'll care if you aren't experienced, girl. He won't do anything you aren't comfortable with and he'll treat you right. He's one of the good guys, Sylver. Good just oozes out of the man. I will give you this one bit of advice. Touch him…everywhere. And if he does something to you, likely he'll want it done to him. That's it. Talk to him when you're ready. And until then? It's okay if you only want to be held at night."

Xocha hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but his hearing was remarkably well developed and once he's heard the subject of their talk, he couldn't turn away until the talk had run its course. He retreated to the cabin, sank down on the bed and fell back against the mattress with a groan. He shouldn't have listened. Now he was heavy and aching for her. Her lack of experience explained a lot and he'd certainly take it slow with her, but it did not deter his interest. There was no hurry.

Over the next week, she didn't even dare kiss Xocha. Still, he held her in his arms each night without saying anything more than good night. She had no doubt that he could feel or even hear the thundering of her heart when he pulled her against him. Just because she wasn't sure she was ready to give herself to him didn't mean she wasn't very aware of the sexual pull. It didn't help that he only slept in a pair of shorts. Occasionally, she woke up with her hands pressed against him or her leg thrown over his. But no matter how entangled they woke up, he never said anything about it, nor did he press her what she wasn't ready to do. He was leaving it up to her.

During the days, they talked and eventually she told him what happened to her clan and how she'd left her helmet behind on her parent's and brother's pyre to show that a part of her died with them that day. She also told both of them how her ancestors separated from Wren clan to form an offshoot due to their differences over honor and what it entailed.

"I deeply respect your ancestors. It is hard to go against the established norm. It is unfortunate that all mandalorians could not walk their path. The galaxy would have less death and war if they did. But you have proven time and time again that you hold true to your ancestors' ideals. That speaks a lot about your character. It also tells me that going to Dromund Kaas is going to be difficult for you. Are you sure this is the correct path for you to walk?" Xocha inquired.

"I have to earn my honor back. Regardless of my ideals, I am still mando'ad. Honor can only be won by defeating worthy foes. You would be a worthy foe – but I have no desire to try to defeat you in combat."

"There are many ways to defeat a foe – not all involve battle. There are ways you could…defeat me…" his lips curled up into a slight smile. "There are many things I would like be to you, but a foe is not among them," he said gently.

She swallowed hard and cleared her throat. She didn't know if he intended his words to be so…sensual, but that was how she felt them. "Winning the Great Hunt is the is the biggest honor a mando'ad can gain. If I win it, not only will I gain my honor back, but I will prove that my ancestors and our way of life do not make us any less mando'ad."

Now he understood just how important this Great Hunt was to her. If anything, it was more about proving her clan was worthy and less about her honor. "I am guessing not all mandalorians accepted the path your clan walked?"

Her gaze dropped to the floor. She didn't like looking into his glasses and seeing nothing. She heard a rustle and Mako gasp. She glanced over at the young woman who was staring at something behind her. Sylver swung her head around to see what caught Mako's attention to find that Xocha had removed his glasses. It would seem that he cared more about her comfort than Mako's. "Thank you…" she whispered, knowing he would hear her. She blinked when he leaned over to brush his lips against hers.

"I have worn them for so long that sometimes I forget I do not need to with you," he explained.

Her fingertips touched her tingling lips. When she realized what she'd done she dropped her hand in her lap, but there was no way to hide the blush that stained her cheeks. "No. mando'ad live for battle and defeating powerful foes. It doesn't matter to them if their foes want to fight, so long as they do. In the beginning, so the stories are told, the other clans all but ostracized us. But over time we proved our strength and honor and eventually we were called on to help other mando'ad. Now, no one openly cuts us, but some still think we are less mando'ad. We are not the first clan to die at sith hands, but I imagine that will be used against us…me. It is easy to forget the past in light of the present."

"You'll win the Great Hunt, girl – we'll be beside you every step of the way. And no one would dare to doubt you again," Mako assured her.

These two beautiful souls had become her new family. They had been strangers a few short weeks ago and now she couldn't imagine her life without them in it.

-BREAK FOUR-

Late that evening, when Xocha was in the cabin's private refresher, she locked their door, slipped out of her night clothes and under the blankets. She lay on her side facing away from his side of the bed as usual. She didn't want to clue him in that tonight was different than any other night, she wanted him to discover that for himself when he pulled her against him. Finally, they would be skin to skin and she was looking forward to see how that would feel.

She felt the bed dip as he sat down and swung his legs up onto it. He drew the covers up to his chest and rolled over. His arm came around hers his hand on her ribs brushing the underside of her breasts as he pulled her against him. She felt his body stiffen as his hand reflexively cupped her breast as if in disbelief. The contact caused heat to pool in her core and she arched back against him with a moan. She shuddered when his thumb grazed over her tight nipple. Heat and awareness spiraled through her when she felt him thickening against her lower back.

His body trembled in anticipation. He rolled her nipple between his fingers and lowered his lips to her ear. His tongue drew alone the shell's edge. "Are you sure?" he murmured.

"Yes…" she breathed out.

"I'll go as slow as you need and stop when you ask," he assured her.

She rolled onto her back and lifted her arm to grasp the back of his neck to pull him down for a kiss. Her nipple brushed against the short hairs on his upper chest. She moaned into the kiss and arched against him, needing more contact. His hand explored her breasts, plucking and rolling her nipples until he broke the kiss, his mouth trailing down to replace his fingers. She sank her own fingers into his long, sable hair - her lifeline as her body awakened to sensations she hadn't thought possible.

His fingers stroked down her body, his short nails causing goose bumps to rise on her skin as his tongue teased the tight bud of her breast and drew it into the heat of his mouth. Her hips instinctively rose as his fingers slid through her curls to stop just before touching her.

Her rocking hips encouraged him to explore further. He groaned, his teeth grazing her nipple as his fingers sank between the wet, slippery folds to stroke the swollen nub hidden within. The soft cry of his name nearly undid his control. Her nipple slipped from his lips with a pop sound when the suction seal was broke. He pulled the blankets away and nudged her legs apart with his thigh. He kissed and nipped a trail down over her ribs as he settled between her thighs. He could feel her hands tighten in his hair as mouth trailed downward. His tongue flicked her navel. "Rise up on an elbow and watch me pleasure you," he murmured.

It took a moment for his words to filter through, but she was too dazed to do much more than obey. She released one hand from his head to hold her up while the other remained clutched to her lifeline. Watching his tongue flick against her skin sent eddies of pleasure rippling through her. She squirmed when he kissed her inner thighs, his tongue teasing the inner crease of leg. She gasped in pleasure when he drew the stubble of his chin over her sensitive flesh. She felt his hands grip into her hips to hold her still the moment his tongue slid between her folds to tease and stroke the bundle of nerves. She cried out, her body writhing, but held firm. She could see and feel what his mouth was doing to her and it was a sensory overload. Her body lit up and became sensitive to his every touch.

He released her hips long enough to push his shorts down past his ass so he could kick them off without breaking the rhythm of his tongue against her. He did not know if they would go any further than this, but he wanted to feel her against all of him. No barriers between them. Her body stiffened beneath him and he quickened his movements, knowing she was on the edge. With a hoarse cry of his name she shattered in his arms. His tongue strokes slowed, wanting to prolong her orgasm rather than overstimulate her. When her hand slipped from her hair and she fell back against the mattress his tongue slid down between her folds to savor the taste of her release. After a moment, he ran his stubble over her sensitive flesh and crawled back up her body to claim her lips once more.

She could taste herself on him but was beyond caring as his kiss reignited her body. Her arms encircled him to stroke his back with her nails. A soft cry slid from her lips when he rubbed his arousal over her still swollen nub. She wrapped her legs around his hips and ground against him, needing more.

"Do you want to feel me inside you?" he murmured against her lips. His body was trembling badly with the need to be buried in her tight heat.

She shuddered at his words. "Yes…now."

"It will hurt the first time – I can't stop that from happening, but I can heal you so it won't hurt for long," he told her gently.

She looked into his real looking eyes. "I can handle a little pain – but you better give me pleasure."

"As you wish," he said as he drove past the barrier of her innocence and then held still. He'd felt her stiffen with the pain and suck in her breath, but it was done. He knew it would be painful, the barrier almost completely closed her portal. His body glowed softly as he healed the small wound. "You will only feel pleasure now."

He slowly pulled out and sank a bit further, each small thrust sank a bit deeper. His body shook as he held back, going slow so that her body had time to adjust to his invasion. Her muscles stretched around him, gripping him like a hot, wet glove. He groaned when he finally hilted himself in her snug embrace. He braced himself on one elbow so that he could caress her body while his mouth made love to hers.

When she moved against him, he growled softly, slowly picking up speed until his thrusts were hard and urgent, pleasure rippling through their bodies. "Don't close your eyes…I want to see you come." Her body was quivering and tensing beneath his. "Yes…that's it…feel the tension…let go and I will come with you," he said in a strangled voice as he fought the need to empty himself. She stiffened and clamped down around him in a pleasure that bordered pain. With a hoarse shout she used her legs to ride him hard. He saw white sparks as his release exploded in her hot depths with a strangled cry of her name on his lips. Her clenching muscles milked him mercilessly until he was rung dry.

He was uncomfortable oversensitive, but still she rode him, her body trembling. His hand slid down her stomach to stroke the swollen nub and encourage her orgasm. Her soft cries grew louder as her body approached the precipice again. With a harsh cry, she tumbled into the abyss and took him with her. He did not think he'd be able to come again so soon, but his body proved otherwise. When exhaustion finally overtook her and her legs fell from around his hips, he could still feel the pulsing of her small muscles as they rhythmically squeezed him. He dropped his forehead to hers. "No regrets. I could never regret what we've shared."

"No regrets," she agreed. "But it's going to be hard to let you get out of bed now that I know the pleasure you can give me," she admitted with blush.

He rolled them onto their sides with a chuckle. "It is lucky for us both that we have another week or so before we have to get out of bed – because I'm not ready to let you out either."

Outside of spending time with Mako, refueling and eating, they spent most of their time learning what pleasured each other most. When they weren't in bed, they found reasons to be near each other, touch each other, hold each other, even kiss each other. It's not that they were madly in love with each other, they weren't. But those touches affirmed that they were alive and they were not alone. When you lived life in survival mode, sometimes it was hard to remember you weren't alone.

He pulled her into his arms and held her. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked gently after they'd passed Korriban and knew Dromund Kaas was approaching quickly.

Her fingers brushed over his chest in a rhythmic pattern. "I don't know who killed my clan. I never had the chance to see them. That makes me hate all things sith. That makes me hate Imperials and the Empire. But I know the people that massacred my clan may not even be on Dromund Kaas. You don't have to worry that I'll go crazy and try to kill everyone on the planet. But if I ever find out who…well, I'll make no guarantees then."

While he knew killing the people that murdered her family would not bring her family back, he also knew that mandalorians had to avenge the fallen – it was a matter of honor. He had no sympathy for anyone who could callously slaughter whole families. But he would be there when she avenged her family and he would ensure it did not twist her into something dark. He did not want to see her light fade. "I'll be at your side when you confront them. I will ensure you do not lose yourself to vengeance."

He picked her up and carried her to their bed to make love to her one last time before they had to berth the ship on Dromund Kaas.

Dromund Kaas

Dromund Kaas…the heart of the Empire and everything sithy. The only place worse would be Korriban and she hoped she never had reason to land on that waste of a planet. They took a taxi to the Mandalorian Enclave. She frowned as she looked out the window. Dromund Kaas was rainy and gloomy, just like a sithy world should be. Her lips twitched. It seemed fitting.

Once they arrived, a helpful, young man pointed out where they'd find Crysta Markon. She was laughing with another Mandalorian when they found her.

Crysta laughed, loud and proud. "I never saw a rodian run so fast in my – oh. Sorry, sweetie didn't see you there.

Mako stepped forward. "We're here for the Great Hunt. We have been sponsored by Nem'ro the Hutt."

Crysta looked from the small girl, to the young woman, to the man, all armored. Her gaze settled on the white-haired woman. Not only did she appear to be the one in charge, but there was something about her that niggled at the back of her mind. Should she know her? "Two girls and a guy…interesting team ya got there." Despite the dark glasses the man wore indoors, he was very handsome."

Xocha caught the older woman's knowing look. "It's not like that, ma'am." At least it wasn't with Mako.

"Sure, it's not… and it ain't none of my business anyway. How long you three been partners?" Crysta inquired.

Sylver looked at the two standing beside her. "It seems like they've always been there to back me up. We work well together."

Crysta nodded. Just what she wanted to hear. "Fantastic. Rare to see that kinda solidarity in our business, you know? Now, you probably ain't gonna like what I'm about to tell you - but there's nothing I can do about it, understand? There's one spot left open in the Great Hunt, and over three dozen hunters who got sponsorships."

"I'm not worried. My name's already in that slot, even if they don't know it yet."

Crysta barked out a laugh. "I just bet. Hope you can back up that kinda talk! The Huntmaster himself will explain how we're gonna sort things out. Head into the main room and show some respect."

"Always, ma'am. I'm an honorable sort," she assured Crysta.

She shook her red-head, her stiff mohawk not daring to move in the slightest. "Don't you ma'am me now - save it for the Huntmaster. When the Hunmaster's done talking, come on back here. I'll be handling you from here on out." She watched the young woman and her team walk away. That niggle was still bothering her something fierce.

The talking was nearly riotous as they stepped into the room.

"Quiet! Quiet, you dogs!" a human yelled out over the din. "The Huntsmaster is about to speak. Pay attention and show some respect for once in your lives!"

At least he was able to quiet the others. There were only a human and a wookie at the front of the room. The human obviously wasn't the Huntmaster. That left the wookie.

Th Huntmaster stepped up to the desk. "Today we have too many hunters. All must compete. Only one joins the Great Hunt!" He said his piece and stepped back."

Lek, the Huntmaster's assistant, took the floor again. "You heard the Huntmaster. You're competing for the last spot in the Great Hunt by taking down three bounties in Dromund Kaas."

Q'kal shook his head. "You expect us to hunt here? With Imperials and sith crawling all over us?"

Lek frowned. "For all you overblown, useless, no-talent cowards, we installed a handy exit door. Use it now." He paused while a couple of men exited the room. "The rest of you - the real hunters – go see your handlers. They'll get you oriented to the planet and assign you three unique bounties. Everyone who takes down all three of their bounties wins a spot in the final melee." That was one thing Dromund Kaas was never in short supply of…bounties.

As they were leaving one man stopped her to warn her of the danger of getting caught. She told him she was here for reasons of honor. He'd nodded, told her he was leaving and wished her luck. That had been kind of him.

Crysta told her that her first bounty was a Republic noble that had been sold into slavery by mistake. That was definitely an oversight, especially when ransoming nobles could bring in big creds. She'd told her Altaca's slave group was building a statue in the jungle, so that's where she should go to look for him. Sylver glanced down at the last known coordinates of the slave group and nodded.

"Before you go, meet your new best friend – the S86k full-gauge carbonite armor upgrade. Works best when the target is immobile. Catch him by surprise or give him a beatdown…either way works. Shoo, now…and hurry back as fast as you can, sweetie."

She handed the S86k to Mako after they left the large chamber. She showed Mako how to integrate it with her gauntlet. "There. One more toy you can have fun with."

"This was given to you, Sylver – won't you need it?" Mako didn't even raise her eyes as she fiddled with her new armor upgrade.

Sylver laughed softly. "I already have one." A newer and more expensive model. "I feel better knowing you have one too." Mako's armor was much lighter and she didn't carry the mostly hidden arsenal that she, herself, carried.

Mako grinned from ear to ear. "Oh – thank you, Sylver! I can't wait to use it."

They took a taxi to just outside of Kaas City and then took speeders. A steady flow of rain soaked her head and ran down her cheeks. She grinned at her friends. "I should have stopped by the fleet hub to locate a helmet. I was…distracted."

"I'll bet," Mako teased. Sylver and Xocha had spent quite a bit of time in the quarters they shared.

"Oh hush. Come on," she kicked her speeder into gear and took off. Dromund Kaas was losing points by the minute. Not only was the rain never-ending, but the ground was a muddy quagmire. Thank the stars she did not have to walk in it.

They located the slave camp at the coordinates, but they were no closer to finding Altaca's location. They stuck to the shadows and moved through the camp trying to locate something…anything…that would help them pinpoint him. She had no desire to kill rebelling slaves. She'd rebel if anyone tried to make a slave of her.

One of the tents had a datarecorder in it. She flipped it on to display a holo-message.

"My dear, Altaca, when I got your message, I could scarcely believe it. We have found each other after all these years."

"Oh look – a love letter from an Imperial noble. Juicy," Mako quipped.

"It must have been the force that brought you here to Dromund Kaas, dear Altaca. As for your predicament, fear not. I have friends in high places - and for the right price, they have agreed to help me. When the slaves attempt their pitiful revolution, a man will come to you dressed in rags. He will bring you to me. I shall say you are my missing brother. We will be Lord and Lady Dak-Ah. I'm afraid I cannot get you offworld and back to your beloved family, but I promise to make your every moment here a joy. Our lifestyle will be the envy of all, and we'll attend parties at the Nexus Room every night. Be ready to join me, my love."

"Wait-" Mako said as the holo winked out. "So…the lady is his lover, but now he's posing as her brother? Disgusting. Sounds like the Nexus Room is where we'll find these weirdos."

"This whole planet is weird…and disgusting," Sylver agreed.

"After you, ladies," Xocha motioned to the tent's entrance.

They located their speeders, hidden behind bushes and returned to Kaas City. But, oddly enough, it would seem they were expected when they showed up at the Nexus room. As they were searching the cantina, a sergeant and four navy soldiers stopped them and ordered them to disarm. Before it could go any further the sergeant's holo chimed and who other than Tarro Blood was calling. It would appear the sergeant was in Tarro's back pocket. Interesting. Two of his men saw sense and left. The sergeant and remaining two thought risking their lives was worth the credit payout. As it turned out, it wasn't.

"There!" Sylver said as she pointed through the crowd on the dance floor. The woman was unmistakable. As they approached their conversation fell silent and the bearded man turned to look at them.

"Yes? May I help you with something?" Altaca asked.

You've got to be kidding me. Arrogance and condescension dripped off every word the man spoke.

She ignored the obvious expense of the white-haired woman's armor. "Darling, please don't speak to those filthy vagabonds," Lady Dak-Ah reprimanded. "It's clearly not supposed to be here, and we shouldn't let ourselves look like we approve. Come, let us get a drink."

"Don't let this armor fool you. I have more money than you'd know what to do with and I'm not going anywhere without Altaca – his family wants him back."

"No. Wait…what?" his face went through a gamut of emotions from fear to confusion to anger. He turned on his lover. "You told me I was trapped here! That I would have to forget my family! That this – this charade was the only way!"

Lady Dak-Ah raised her hand to his chest to calm him. "Inside voice, darling. I may have exaggerated a bit, but hasn't it been nice here? The parties, the late nights, the intrigues and such?" she inquired with a lift of her brow.

His hand rose dramatically to his chest. "You witch! Keeping me here as your plaything when I could have been home with my sisters and my dear mother."

"Lady Dak-Ah waved her hand. "Ugh, you can be such a whiny pain. It's a wonder you are nobility. Let's make a new deal, bounty hunter."

"Afraid we can't do that. His family is paying for his return. He can always come back to you…but," she raised her hand to cup the side of her mouth to mockingly share a secret, "I don't think he gives enough of a damn to come back."

She glared at the well-armed bounty hunter and then smiled up at Altaca. "My darling..,my lovely Altaca. Wouldn't you rather stay here with me than run home to your pathetic Republic family?"

Pathetic…the only thing pathetic here was the witch next to him. "Of course not! You treat me like a pet, and this planet is disgusting. In fact, I'd rather-"

She rolled her eyes. She'd had quite enough of his theatrics. "I assume Altaca's family will pay less for just his body? Kill him, show me the contract and I will pay the difference."

"Wha – what? You want her to kill me?" he asked in stunned shock.

Unbelievable. "I'm not an assassin. I don't kill people unless I'm given no choice." She tapped her micro-terminal and a nodule rose from it. The spray hit the man, freezing him in carbonite. She tossed down a small cube that expanded into a hover-table. Xocha lifted the statue, laying it flat on the small table and strapped him down.

Lady Dak-Ah glared at the bounty hunter. "You've made a very big mistake here today. Now take this thing and leave. Your kind does not belong here."

"You couldn't be more right. We're too good for this place," Sylver acknowledged. "Try not to kidnap any more nobles."

They surrounded the small table as it followed the connection to her micro-terminal. They took a taxi, the hover-table attached to the taxi's luggage rack. They turned the statue over to Crysta after signing off on it and returned to their ship for dinner. They would get their next bounty tomorrow.

Except they didn't. It took three days before they received their second contract. She gave them leave to explore, but outside of getting more supplies for the ship, none of them felt much like being on Dromund Kaas. Mako did a bit of exploring, the kind that involved slicing into security feeds to keep an eye on what was happening around them. But so far, she hadn't found Tarro.

Crysta sent her a holo-message when it was time to meet up with her. They were more than eager to get things moving again.

Crysta wasn't sure of her charge's name. She knew the woman went by Sylver, but thought it might just be a nickname because her eyes were silver. During the last three days she tried to hunt down more information on the bounty hunter, but precious little could be found without a real name. Except, the past bounties she'd turned in under the name Sylver. "Hey there, Sylver. Competition out there is something crazy. Couple of hunters died in the jungles. Big transdoshan got arrested by the Imperials. And you found yourself an unfindable Republic noble. His family was plenty generous with their live bounty."

"He deserved the chance to go home. No one should have to be treated like someone's trapped pet."

Crysta nodded. "Nobody understands why women do themselves so well in hunts. It's the empathy. Now…your second bounty's a bit of a mystery. Apparently, whoever's stacking the deck against you gonna keep right on stacking."

"No surprise there," Mako said with a roll of her eyes.

"What I got is a classified, red-flag request from Imperial Command. No details, just flashy warnings and a contact: Admiral Fraabaal, Imperial navy. Here's the contract," she said as she sent the details to Sylver's micro-terminal. "Fraabaal's in the city, not all that far a stroll. Go get 'em!"

"Let's go find us an Admiral," she told her friends.

-BREAK FIVE-

They hopped a taxi back to Kaas City and asked around until they found someone who knew the Admiral. They were directed to his office and were stopped by a desk jockey.

Secretary Lieutenant Petrak looked up at the well-armed people that walked into the office. "This is the office of Amiral Fraaball of the Imperial Navy. Do you have business here?"

"Can't I just be here to talk to you," Sylver asked sweetly.

That surprised him. No one ever came by to talk to him. "Yes, well, um…Are you? Just here to talk to me, I mean?" He blinked when the man behind her slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her up against him. He couldn't see the man's eyes, but he knew a warning when he saw one. "Oh, I see…you are making fun of me."

Mako chuckled. "I can't imagine why he'd think you were making fun of him and his important desk…"

"Mako…" she warned. "I was actually being nice." She patted the arm around her to be released. Xocha had made his point. While they weren't a "couple", they were monogamous.

Petrak cleared his throat, unsure what to make of the trio. But the small woman's words stung. "Now, if you will excuse me," he said curtly to hide his discomfort.

Sylver released a breath that tousled her bangs. "Look, I'm here to see the Admiral. But you aren't the first person behind a desk that I've befriended. I know that sometimes it can feel like you're invisible. I probably shouldn't have teased you, but I really was trying to be nice."

His eyes darted between the three of them. "Yes, well…if the Admiral wanted to see you, he'd have notified me. I will not interrupt him with an unscheduled appointment. The Admiral is a busy man." He glanced down at the holo on his desk that chimed and flipped it on to see the admiral.

"Soldier! What-"

"Sorry, sir. Not my fault. There are quarrelsome persons here to see you…"

Fraabaal rubbed his forehead. "Quarrelsome…You're as weak as you are stupid. I requested a mercenary from the mandalorians. Send them in immediately."

Petrak sat up straighter in his chair, heat crawling into his cheeks. "Yes sir! You may go in now." The holo winked out and the door slid open.

Sylver winced, empathizing with the young man. "Buck up…one day you'll be giving the orders. It's up to you to decide what kind of leader you want to be. One that throws insults or one that builds confidence."

She stepped through the doorway to speak with the Admiral.

Fraabaal waved them in. "Come in, mercenary. I apologize if my secretary caused you any grief. He is of low birth, and his intelligence reflects it. I'm afraid many of our Imperial soldiers are hopeless with delicate tasks. This, of course, is why I asked for a professional. My daughter has become something of a liability to me. I want you to kill her."

She just blinked. "That is not something I hear every day."

Fraabaal sniffed loudly. "Then I assume you are new to Dromund Kaas. Things work a bit…differently here. My daughter was born force sensitive and trained to be sith. A great honor for our family. Unfortunately, my daughter's master is one Lord Grathan, a madman who is now disgraced in the eyes of the Dark Council. If Lord Grathan's compound is raided and my daughter captured or killed, every member of her family will suffer. This is sith politics. In the best-case scenario, I lose my rank and position. In the worst…"

"You dance with the grim reaper," Sylver filled in.

"Precisely. Lord Grathan is a paranoid madman. His compound is built to withstand a siege, but a lone infiltrator will take them by surprise. My daughter is somewhere inside Lord Grathan's compound. Her name is Vereta. You will know her, as she resembles me closely."

She was thoroughly disgusted by the man before her and his daughter. If she could, she'd kill them both. A man puts a hit on his own daughter to save his job, albeit possibly his life as well. But who did that? And she was a sith…a sith…She felt Xocha's hand on her back. "I will be discreet."

Fraabaal nodded. "Do not let yourself be captured. Good luck."

After they'd left the office, Mako placed a hand on Sylver's arm. "Hang on – I've been running some data. Turns out, renegade sith lord followers rack up death marks like crazy. Lord Grathan's top people all have bounties on their heads."

"If we find them, we'll collect them," Sylver responded. "But I don't want to put us at risk of being caught. We need to be cautious. No bounty is worth losing the chance at the Great Hunt and taking down Tarro."

"Agreed," Mako said with a nod. "I've sent you the coordinates for Lord Grathan's compound. But it's late and we skipped lunch. We should wait to tackle Grathan's tomorrow."

Since none of them knew which places were good to eat at and which should be avoided, they retired to the ship to eat and get some sleep. It took nearly a week before they could make it out to Grathan's compound. There were a couple of bounties in Kaas City. High credit bounties, unrelated to what she'd been assigned, but there were too many bounty hunters here for them to wait. She also had to repair her armor, which had taken some damage from a lightsaber. The armor, itself, was undamaged but the sith had found a gap between her armor plates. She was lucky she wasn't gutted. But the injury added another couple of days onto the delay.

Mako had been busy keeping them updated on how far along the other bounty hunters were. It would seem most of them had run into one problem or another. But that was not unusual, considering how tight security was on the Imperial homeworld.

Sylver stretched, but made sure the wince did not register on her face. "Time to get back to work."

Xocha lifted his hand to his face. "I know you are still hurting. You cannot hide your pain from me, Sylver. Another day or two will not matter."

She pulled back from the tender touch. "I'm fine. I know my body and what it can take. Every day matters now."

Mako grinned. "No, lovebirds – it doesn't. I-"

"Mako…"

Mako looked at Xocha but saw nothing except his unblinking, realistic looking eyes. Was he objecting to the _lovebirds_? She'd only been teasing them. Ah…Sylver's honor. Sylver would not be happy to learn that they'd helped to ensure the others were delayed as well. "I've kept a close eye on the other bounty hunters. They are no further along than you are. Another day or two won't matter."

She tapped her foot on the ground. She knew she didn't make a very good patient. What Mando'ad did? "It matters to me. Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur. It's a good day for someone else to die." She pulled her armor and underarmor out of her bedroom locker. At this point she didn't care if either one of them watched her armor up. She was leaving the ship. When Xocha moved to grab his armor, she smiled. "Kandosii – You knew I'd go without you," she teased.

Mako rolled her eyes and left to put on her own armor.

His lips tightened to keep the grimace off of them. "Of that I had no doubt." He knew the wound still bothered her. All he could do was be nearby in case she needed him.

They took the speeders in the cargo bay of the ship as close to Grathan's compound as they could before finding a place to hide them. It took them far longer than she thought to search the compound. The compound held many outbuildings and the estate was large. They'd managed to go unseen for the most part. A few strategic sleep darts had been enough. It was unfortunate that she couldn't use the sleep bombs, but without her helmet she'd have succumbed to the gas as well.

Vereta turned when she heard boots on the ramp that led to her terminal station that overlooked the floor below. "Oh, what have we here?" She laughed softly. "You are not even a Mandalorian, are you? When Lord Grathan's spies said my father contacted the Mandalorian Enclave, I expected they'd at least send me a real, live Mandalorian. I'm afraid I'm a tad disappointed."

She wanted to ignore the sith's blatant insult, but her hatred of all that was sith wouldn't let her remain silent. "Don't be. You don't just have any mandalore…I am the alor of Clan Wren'abesh and," she thumped her chestplate, "I wear the beskar armor of a leader." Her every word was true. With her parents and older brother dead, she was the new alor of the clan. As to how many of her clan still existed, she did not know, nor did she know when or if they would return home. Either way, she'd left detailed records of what happened, who died and how to reach her.

Alor? Really? What the was that even? Her eyes opened wide in surprise. "Wait -you don't really think you can kill me? I mean, I'm sith and you're just…whatever you are..." she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Mako had not realized Sylver was actually a Mandalorian leader. This just kept getting better. "Oh, we've got a true believer."

She waved another hand. "Then again, it makes sense – why would you come here if you thought you'd die? You can't kill a sith, you silly!"

Sylver blinked. The woman was clearly half-baked. "You have been sadly misinformed, little girl. You are hardly invincible."

Vereta smirked. "No, of course not. A more powerful sith could kill me…or a really lucky jedi." Her gaze settled on the armored man. What was it about him? She pushed the errant thought away. "Perhaps…a bomb. But certainly not you. You must be so crushed. Live and learn, I guess. Except…not in your case…sorry!" She ignited her lightsaber.

Sylver sighed, lifted her arm and shot her with a dart.

Vereta dropped her lightsaber when her hand became numb. She ignored the man that leapt forward to grab it before it hit the floor and shut it off. "What…I…I lost? I can't lose! I'm…sith! I was told…"

"Never trust a sith," Sylver hissed and raised her arm. "Time to talk to daddy, princess."

She held up her arm to protect her face. "No! That's…worse…"

Sylver tossed down the disk that expanded into a hover table and nodded to Xocha to load the sith onto the table. Getting out of the compound was far more complicated than getting in. There was no way to hide the frozen sith. She been forced to switch to her blasters when she ran out of darts. It was an utter shock to find herself fighting side by side with a red sith throwing lightning bolts and some kind of huge monster as they made their escape together and went their own ways. They were relieved when they finally reached the speeders, the table following close behind them.

She waved to Petrak as she passed by his desk and walked directly into the Admiral's office. She left the _package_ right outside the door.

Fraabaal looked up from his data pad, rose and came around the side of his desk. "Reports of the raid on Lord Grathan's estate are pouring in. I trust you were successful in your endeavor? My daughter Vereta is…" his words failed him.

She typed a command into her micro-terminal and the table floated into the room. "I would not have you live with the regret of an action that could not be undone, Admiral. What you choose to do is your choice, but I suggest you take your daughter somewhere safe for the both of you and work things out. You may find her more amenable. She realizes the sith can't be trusted now."

He looked at the metallic frozen body. Alive. She was actually alive. His gaze lifted from his prostrate daughter to the woman in the fancy white and silver armor. "You are incredibly insightful for a bounty hunter. As soon as you left the premises, I realized my mistake – a mistake that would haunt me the rest of my days."

"We weren't about to let that happen. Uh…sir," Mako replied.

He glanced at the small woman, the man standing behind the white-haired woman and then settled his gaze back on the Mandalorian. "You've done me a great service. She's all I have of her mother…I let fear…" he ran a hand down his face. "Thank you for giving me what I didn't know I needed until it was too late."

Sylver nodded. "Then you are not going to kill her."

He shook his head. "No, of course not. Contain her, maybe. Until she can be made to see reason." He pulled out a disk and held it out to her. "Here is your writ and your fee. Now please," he looked down out his daughter. "I need some time with my daughter."

She took the disk from him. "I hope things work out - for you both."

They returned to the ship to eat and settle in for the night. Four days later, Crysta called them in for their third bounty.

"Back just in time," Crysta stated with a wide grin. "Competition is heating up. That little green girl, Iopiane Ratle, finished all her bounties. Heard she poisoned an Imperial Moff!"

Mako pursed her lips. "Glad we didn't get that one."

Crysta nodded in agreement. "Now, I ain't allowed details on whatever you were scrappin' for Admiral Fraabaal, but I got a clearance note says it was duly scrapped. Nice payday, too. Nice job. Now – here we go. Bounty three. I call it: Someone's got a serious hate for my hunter. Top secret crazy, red-flag covered. This one's for a Captain Medle in Imperial Intelligence. No other information."

"Damn." She wanted nothing to do with being on the Imp Intelligence radar.

"I know," Crysa responded in a soft voice. "Stay careful and watch yourself. Spooks are nasty business."

They hopped their speeders and took the long thoroughfare that connected the sith and Intelligence enclaves with the Mandalorian. She tried not to look around as they passed the sith enclave. She did not wish for them to feel the blast of her hate. She exhaled a slow, steady breath and continued on to the Intelligence headquarters.

As soon as she dismounted from her speeder her micro-terminal chimed with a much-needed update. Coordinates. Considering they were well armed and armored, she was surprised they were not stopped upon entry. Thankfully, they did not need to press their luck. Medle's office was just off the entryway. She found him seated at his desk with two armed guards.

Medle looked up in surprise. "What the -? Oh, right, the bounty hunter. Glad you could make it. You nervous, hunter? Parked in the middle of the Imperial Intelligence and all? I could say one word or touch one button, and you'd disappear forever. Poof! Gone just like that. Nobody would even dare to ask what happened to you."

Was he threatening her or was it simple a chest-pounding pissing contest? "You wouldn't be the first to try. I have a stubborn way of not dying like I'm supposed to." She leaned forward setting her hands flat on his desk. "Do you like all that responsibility, Captain? Or do you long for something else?"

Medle inclined his head. "I knew you'd understand – makes your head spin, doesn't it? I never signed up for this cloak-and-dagger shit. I was a regular soldier. Then one day. I put together a covert op raid that goes a little too well and – bam! I'm in Imperial Intelligence. Look, what I'm saying is the stuff that goes on in these halls is insane, and all of it is crazy hush-hush. So what I'm going to tell you has to stay just between you and me. Got it?"

"Of course. We have too much honor for loose lips. Whatever you tell us - it goes no further."

He nodded. "Here's the deal: There's a huge ancient sith temple on Dromund Kaas. Used to just sit there being scary. Now the place is crawling with sith sorcery, and its' been ordered a no-go zone for everyone. Naturally. We sent a team in. My commander led that team. Nobody came back. We can't report any of them dead without reporting the mission – which puts me in a bind.

"Let me guess…I'm going to the temple," she replied drolly.

"If I can't prove my commander's dead, I can't take over his spot – which means an ugly power vacuum. I'm hiring you to enter the temple and find the team's ID cards – especially my commander's. Make sure you find an Imperial Commander named Gargun. Can't imagine there will be more than one corpse in the temple wearing commander stripes. Then get back here – quietly."

As they were leaving Intelligence, they all but ran into another group consisting of a male and female chiss and a female rattataki. She knew enough about politics to know that the chiss were accepted as near equals in the Empire, but the rattataki – she was surprised to see her in Intelligence. The light teal female chiss with the blonde hair winked at her right before her group hopped into a taxi. Sylver shook her head, mounted her bike. She glanced at her companions and nodded before taking off.

They were just refueling their speeders when the chiss party taxi arrived.

"So, you beat us even though you left after us," the female chiss said with a gentle laugh. "Impressive."

Sylver grinned at her. "We…took a short cut."

Annora bumped Neo with her elbow. "How come we didn't know about that, Neo?" she teased. The white-haired woman had impressed her. She'd been on Dromund Kaas many times and had been unaware of any short cut.

Neo grunted and eyed the woman in armor. Unless she was an agent infiltrating the mandalorians, he didn't think she was an agent, despite having seen her in Intelligence. "It would appear we didn't bother to ask the right people."

"I didn't say it was a smart shortcut," Sylver admitted. They'd barely avoided some rocks that were hurled at them by some big, angry beast. She was pretty sure they only avoided to projectiles because of Xocha.

"Priceless!" Annora laughed. "I'm Annora, the big guy is Neo and woman with the frown is Kaliyo. She's always a ray of sunshine," Annora teased.

"Up yours," Kaliyo groused. "No one trusts people who are happy all the time. It just makes them liars."

Annora shook her head, but the smile stayed in place. "Your far too pessimistic, Kaliyo – one does not have to equal the other. You might find life more enjoyable if you smiled."

"I'd smile if you fell face first into that mud puddle," she motioned towards the puddle to the right. "Seeing you covered in mud would keep me smiling all day."

"Right then," Sylver butted in. "I'm Sylver Wren, this is Xocha," she motioned to the jedi, "and this is Mako. I'm assuming, you are going to the ancient sith temple too, seeing as there is nothing else around here?"

"We are," Annora admitted. "Why don't we join forces to get there? We'll go our own way once we're inside and then, if luck prevails, we join up again before we leave."

"I'm inclined to agree, since I don't know what we'll be facing. We can double up and ride the speeders. You take mine, Neo. One of your party can ride with Mako."

He inclined his head to the white-haired woman. "Thank you, Sylver. Kaliyo, you're with me." He didn't trust Kaliyo at his back, but she had been made his responsibility.

Mako smiled at Annora. "It looks like it's you and me, girl. Hop on."

They picked their way carefully up to the temple's entrance. With one arm around Xocha, she'd used her free hand to shoot anything that got too close to them. "Riding double saved us a lot of time," she told the other trio once they dismounted the speeders and entered the main hall. "I hope we meet up on the way out. It would be faster leaving, if you're with us. K'oyacyi! Stay alive. Something is very wrong with the people here. It is like they are…possessed."

Neo nodded. "Well met and good luck." He motioned his companions to the left and ascended the stairs.

"Go right – I saw a soldier heading up the stairs. Odd, though - I thought they were all supposed to be dead." She shuddered. "I wonder if they are like the men we saw outside? Way to go, girl – freak yourself out."

"No…you're right. If they are anything like the men outside, then it's definitely freak worthy," Sylver assured her.

"There is much evil here. It writhes around us and it's hungry. Let us do what we need to and leave. We do not belong here," Xocha warned.

Mako shivered. "That didn't freak me out in the slightest. Could you be any creepier, jedi?"

"Shhhh…Do not speak of what I am in these halls. I'm closing myself off from the force. If I can feel it…it can feel me. Evil saturates this place and it will not tolerate the light."

"Then let's hurry. I don't want every dead sith in this place to haunt us," Sylver whispered. That was not the type of battle she knew how to wage. You can't put a blaster bolt in a spirit.

-BREAK SIX-

They'd located three men and since she'd not found any more sleep darts, they'd been forced to shoot. The men had been insane with vengeance. Bringing them back in that state was not possible. The third man survived long enough to tell them where Commander Gargun was in a moment of clarity before his spirit took the long march. They had three of the five IDs so far.

Mako shivered. "I can still hear them talking…I cut off my holoreceiver, but I can still hear them. If I lose it, please don't leave me down here."

She squeezed Mako's arm. "I'm not leaving anyone behind to this madness." She glanced up at Xocha's helmeted head. "Are you okay?"

"No," he said through gritted teeth. "But I will get through this." He could feel the evil slamming against him. It knew something was different, but it didn't know what, so it searched for weakness and he'd had to clamp down harder.

"We will hurry."

They took out two more of the missing team by the time they reached the right corridor that would take them to the Commander. If the possessed man was telling the truth. Apparently, he was. There was an officer in the farthest chamber.

Gargun raised his nose in the air when he saw the trio approach. "What is this in front of me? More worshipers? Who braves the flames of the Altar of Horror to stand in front of Lord Barel-Slathborn," he flexed and posed, "Lord of the Sith?"

Oh boy. "Captain Medle sent me to find you, Commander."

"There is no _commander_ here – and if there were, he would be my minion. Imperials serve the Sith Lords!"

"If you're not an Imperial commander, then what's that ID card for?" she pointed out.

"What madness do you speak? I have no – ah…that. It seems the ID of some Imperial commander I must have slain has stuck to my robes. Do you wish to have it? A token of your visit with the great Lord Barel-Slathborn?"

She forced a smile on her lips. What happened was horrible, but the man did not attack her and she could not bring herself to kill him. "Oh, thank you, my lord! That's very generous of you."

He nodded. "Then, it is settled. A token for you," he said as he handed over the ID. "Go forth now and spread word to all that worship lessor Lords of the Sith."

They headed back towards the front. Since they did not know where to look for the other trio, they decided to wait at the entry stairs. Before they were even half way there, they heard blaster shots and cursing that sounded an awful lot like Kaliyo. They darted around one of the massive columns and saw the other three running nearly backwards, firing behind them at the corrupted people that were giving chase. "Let's even the odds! K'oyacyi!"

They jumped into the fray, giving cover fire so that the others could outrun the mob of corrupted.

"What do you know?" Kaliyo called out. "I knew we'd catch up with them again. You owe me, agent!"

"Later, Kaliyo. Let's focus on getting out of her in one piece," Neo reminded her. His arm swung to the right to take out another possessed soul. "And call me Neo – not agent." Her mouth was going to make his job very difficult. Due to being chiss, he wasn't an operative that could do assignments in Republic space. He would draw far too much attention and suspicion. No, he primarily would be used to spy on the Empire's own people or the Chiss Ascendency, which was delicate work, since he was unwilling to compromise his people.

Thank you, Kaliyo. That certainly explained who he was and who Kaliyo wasn't. At least she knew to be more careful around them. Mouthing off about the sith or the Empire, probably wouldn't be the best route with that group.

Once the Neo's group got far enough ahead, they laid down cover fire while her group withdrew. In that manner they made their way to the exit. Not every possessed came after them, some were fighting their own internal battles or just didn't seem to care. Likely, different groups were controlled by different dead Sith Lords, some more prone to aggression than others.

They didn't stop until they were mounting their speeders and moving at a fast clip away from sith-spawn central. Once they reached the taxi pad where they'd met up, there was a round of grateful handshakes.

"What you heard in there…" Neo began.

"Don't worry, Neo. My line of work has as many secrets in it as yours. We are very good at keeping secrets," Sylver assured him. "If you are ever in need of assistance, give me a call. If we are in the area, we'll help. Consider us…contacts. Is that the right word?"

He chuckled. "It is as right as any other. You may call us as well – or Annora, in any event. It is wise to have contacts my superiors are unaware of."

Mako locked her hands behind her back to keep from grabbing his micro-terminal and giving him a secure, unmonitored channel. But why would a spook trust her poking around in his micro-terminal?

With a farewell to their new…friends, they hopped their speeders to return to Intelligence and Captain Medle. She strolled over to his desk and dropped the ID tags on it.

Medle's face lit up in smile when he saw the IDs. Honestly, he didn't think he'd ever see her again. That her team would disappear like his had. "You got the IDs! Fantastic!" Medle searched through them until he found the one he sought. "That's the one. Commander Gargun. Wonderful. Better than I could have imagined!" The smile slipped from his face. And worse. "Wish I could have gone to the temple myself. It would have saved me some…unpleasantness. Listen to me, 'unpleasantness'., I'm even starting to sound like a spy." He exhaled slowly. "Friend, remember when I told you the sith didn't want anyone in the Dark Temple?"

She held her hand up. "Stopping right there would save us both some _unpleasantness_," she told him, not unkindly.

He stepped around the desk and rubbed his forehead. "I wish there was some other way to handle this. I really do."

"There is," she said flatly. "I walk away. My job is filled with secrets I will not betray. This would just be another one."

He stared at her a moment and then slowly shook his head. "I can't take the risk of the sith ever finding out you went to their precious Dark Temple – which means you're now a liability."

"Liability," she mocked. "Another spy word."

"I apologize. This isn't the way a fighting woman should die. Guards!" he said, ordering the guards to do their duty so that they all might live.

The fight really was unfair. Though she was glad everyone's blasters sported silencers, otherwise all of Intelligence might have come down on their heads.

Medle sank to his knees when icy-hot pain seared his gut. He glanced at his two men and saw they were down. He'd have to find some way of explaining this all. Another wave of pain brought his attention to his own injury. He looked down at the blood that seeped through his fingers and then looked up at the Mandalorian. "Heh…that went wrong, didn't it?"

"For you, maybe. I see things a bit differently," she told him.

He nodded. "Got a hole in my gut…" he mumbled. "I'm not going to beg. Turning on someone who did their job is wrong. We both know that. He pulled the writ disk out of his pocket with a shaky hand and held it out to her. "Here is your writ and your pay. The rest is up to you."

"No, Medle…it's up to you. Will you be sending more men after us?" she asked quietly.

"To do what?" he scoffed and then groaned with the pain that slammed into him. "My men are no match for you. How about I make a more concrete apology? I'll send you some top-of-the-line weaponry as soon as you're out of here. That work for you?"

She frowned but nodded. "You should have let us walk. This - what happened here…was a waste. But I'm glad this didn't have to get personal."

"It never was, believe me. You're everything a woman should be. Wish I'd met you while I was still a man," he admitted. He saw the big armored man slip an arm around her waist. She was off limits. "Of course. Don't ever sell your soul for your job."

"I won't." Xocha replied.

"I never thought I would either," Medle mumbled as the trio walked away.

Xocha turned his head and nodded, to let him know his words were heard as they left the captain's chambers.

"We'll turn this last one in tomorrow. I don't know what's going to happen, so I want to be fresh."

As it turned out nothing happened. There was still another few days before the melee. They did a bit of sightseeing, at least around Kaas City, found a couple of decent restaurants and a nice club. But it was surprisingly like any other city, except for the higher number of sith parading about in their ridiculous costumes acting like they owned the place – which they pretty much did.

A few days later they received the call from Crysta to come in. Crysta smiled and walked towards the trio that approached her. "You ought to know that some mandalorian big shot named Tarro Blood said you were dead. Time to show him how wrong he is. All the other hunters who survived are already inside! Get in there! Oh – you two can wait here," she told Xocha and Mako. "Sylver's got to do this on her own."

Sylver moved down the corridor, her step lively but not overly rushed. She heard the assistant speaking as she entered melee chamber.

"All weapons are allowed, but you fight alone. No assistants." He turned when he heard boots coming up the ramp. "And it looks like we have a latecomer!"

"I just like to make a big entrance," she replied with a grin.

Assistant Lek smiled. "Coming back from the dead is a big entrance, all right." He turned to the wookie. "Huntmaster, will you do us the honor?"

The Huntmaster held his long, furry arms out. "Today, many hunters earn glory in death and defeat. One hunter earns eternal glory in victory. Good hunting to all."

Iopiane Ratle sneered. "We all heard tales of your exploits, Wynter. Perhaps I'll turn them into a song to commemorate your death."

She cocked a brow. "Then make sure it's something you can dance to."

"Consider it done," retorted the mirialan. "I'd wish you luck…but it wouldn't help. So, I'll just say goodbye."

"Yes, then. Re'turcye mhi."

Iopiane blinked, her eyes narrowing on Wynter.

"Enough!" Lek growled. "You hunters are the best that the galaxy's goons and thug lords could send us. Now show us which one of you will join the Great Hunt! Fight!" He stepped back out of the ring to watch.

She almost felt guilty gunning down the other hunters. There was honor pitting yourself against talented beings, but she was mando'ad. She had lost her honor and did not feel she was any better than them, but was she? When the last one fell, she spun her blasters and snapped them to her magbelt. Despite her victory, she could not bring herself to smile. Not when uncertainty plagued her thoughts.

Lek inclined his head to her and smiled. "The melee is over! One hunter remains!" He lowered his voice. "Quite a show you put on. Blasted fun to watch. How do you feel, hunter?"

"I'm one step closer to regaining my honor. That is a good feeling," she admitted. She could tell he wanted to hear more, but there was nothing more she could say.

He wondered what she meant by that, but she'd closed down and he knew he would get nothing more out of her. "Things only get harder from here." He led her to the Huntmaster's office.

"Let the hunter stand before me. She is honored beyond all common hunters. Let it be known that-"

Tarro stormed into the office. Anger outweighing his fear. "This is simply ridiculous. I mean, really – this needs to stop right now."

"Why? Because I'm not as dead as you hoped I was? Such a pity. Poor Tarro actually has competition now. Sorry about that chap – no…wait…I'm not." She snapped her teeth in a bite motion. "Bites to be you."

"I object to this farce!" he snarled. "This ignorant thug does not deserve to enter the Great Hunt. Her credentials are a lie fabricated by her little gutter rat of a sidekick. She deserves no honors."

The Huntmaster gave her a knowing look and a slight nod. What had he meant by that? Did he know more than he should about who she was?

Lek frowned. "We know this hunter's history, Blood. The Huntmaster has ruled."

"You fools! This is a place of honor, a competition of elites. Mandalore will hear of this!"

"Tion'ad hukaat'kama, mir'osik?" Who's watching your back, shit for brains? She loved it. The look on his face was priceless. "Give the Mandalore Sylver Wren's regards and try not to cry."

He leaned towards her. "Speaking a few words of mando'a does not make you one of us. Before this Great Hunt is over, I will have your skull in my hands!"

Lek watched him storm out and then took a closer look at Sylver. Sylver Wren. Wren…that was a mando'ad clan. He glanced up at the Huntmaster who just nodded. Intriguing. "The Great Hunt just got way more interesting. Sorry for the interruption, Huntmaster. Please continue."

The wookie looked down at her. "The Great Hunt proves talent, resolve. Mandalore calls it to bring him the most skilled hunter in the galaxy. Each hunter will hunt the other's prey. Then each hunter hunts the other. At the end, there is no prey and only one hunter."

"You get all that, Sylver?" Lek inquired.

"I did, Assistant Lek. It seems simple enough. Take down the target and any other hunters that go after it."

The Huntmaster nodded. "Today you are truly the hunter, all else is your prey. Welcome to the Great Hunt, Sylver Wren."

Lek motioned towards the door. "Your handler Crysta will fill you in on the rest of the details. She and your team are waiting for you."

Crysta was laughing with her companions when she stepped out of the office. She found herself buried under hugs the moment she returned.

Xocha grazed his lips against hers and then dropped his forehead to rest on hers. "I wasn't worried for a moment."

"Well I was," Mako teased. "You've always been the best, Sylver. Nothing's going to keep you from taking the Hunt."

"I knew it!" Crysta grinned and motioned between Xocha and Sylver. "I just knew it." She tried to rein in her smile, but gave up. "Now onto the Great Hunt. Here's how it's going to work: First, you're getting a starship."

"I've already got one," she told Crysta.

"It ain't quite like that. There's a tradition for new hunters: You gotta steal one for yourself." She pulled out her datapad and researched the ships currently in port. "Gotcha. I know one that belongs to one of them so called "importer" types. Fast, smooth and roomy. Head to the spaceport, get past the guards, steal your ship and hit the hyperlanes. When you hit space, I'll send you two holo-recordings, both with specific details on who and where you hunt. Take out the target and the other hunter assigned to that target. Your first round of targets are on Balmorra and Nar Shaddaa. Good luck to ya, Sylver!"

She gave Crysta a farewell hug and hurried out of the Mandalorian Enclave. "I know I'm supposed to steal the ship, but I'm going to do it my way. First, we will go to our ship and pack up our belongings. Mako, I'll need you to remove the ship's identa-chip. We'll be swapping it out with our new ship's. I won't leave the other man without transportation, nor will I fly around in a ship flagged as stolen – that's a one-way ticket to an Imperial stockade. I'll also leave him a sizable credit transfer to make up the difference in cost…and for the inconvenience. We don't know when he's going to return for his ship, so we will have to make this fast."

Xocha grinned. They broke the mold when Sylver was born. She'd give a jedi a run for honor.

Within an hour, with the help of the docking bay droids, they got the contents of both ships switched.

"Identi-chip is installed and tweaked…just a bit…by yours truly," Mako told the holo of Sylver with a wide grin on her face. "There will be no tracing the theft back to us. Ready when you are, girl."

Sylver nodded. "Xocha is on the shuttle, waiting for your arrival. I'm taking out our new girl, the Bes'uliik – or Iron Beast, about half a click and I will wait for you. We're ready for you to bring the new Wave Runner into her berth." She knew the owner of Wave Runner would be surprised to see a different ship in his docking bay, along with the money she'd left behind, but at least she hadn't stranded him.

Once she landed the new Wave Runner and settled into the shuttle. A moment before they passed through the protective holo-shield, she removed her control over the dock surveillance feeds. If the footage was looked over, all they would see was one blink the larger Wave Runner was there and the next blink the smaller ship had taken its place. She'd even wiped the docking bay droids so that no evidence would be left behind. She leaned back with a satisfied grin. "We did it. I'm glad we didn't just steal the ship. The ships' owner didn't deserve that."

Xocha nodded as they slipped through the barrier and headed to the coordinates he'd been sent. "Sylver's sense of honor rivals my own. It is not what I would have expected, but nor is it something I will ever doubt." He eased the shuttle into the hangar bay of their new ship and the bay door closed behind them. He took a deep breath when the shuttle door opened and he stepped out onto the deck of the new Iron Beast. After Mako stepped out of the shuttle behind him, he slapped the pad near the door to close it.

Mako looked around. "I don't know what we're going to do with all this space." She caught sight of the speeders and squealed as she ran over to them. "Look at all of these speeders…now I understand why we left ours. They are all so shiny…so new. I get second pick!" She grinned at Xocha's laugh. "Well I was with her before you – it's only fair."

He held up his hands and smiled. "I will concede and give you second pick." He honestly didn't care, they all looked to be in great shape as far as he could tell. "Let's locate Sylver and find out where we are going first."


	7. A StarWars Fable - Prologue Agent

SWTOR

An Old Republic Tale

Prologue

Agent – Fall of the Hutt, Rise of the Eagle

He looked out the window of the shuttle and then glanced at the woman sitting next to him. Annora was very beautiful with her pale teal coloring and blonde hair with only the palest blue sheen to it, lending it a metallic blonde appearance. He'd met her several years ago and he'd been allowed to make her part of his team. And though, she'd often pose as his wife on missions that required such, he'd never been able to get her into his bed. As much as he would love the opportunity to dive between her legs, maybe it was for the best…he didn't wish to lose her as a partner. She'd been invaluable, both with her slicing ability and with her ability as a living lie detector. Still…he couldn't help but wonder what she got out of their partnership. She appeared content, but was it a lie? That was the only real downside to his job – he saw lies everywhere. Because he was untrustworthy due to his job, it was hard for him to trust anyone in return. She was one of the very few he felt he could count on. He saw her hand pressed against one of the shuttle's windows. "Quite the sight, isn't it?"

Her breath feathered against the cool permaglass fogging it up. "It looks awful down there, Neo. I hope we do not have to come back to this nasty place. I wonder what Hutta looked like before the Hutts took it over?" She sighed softly. "Doesn't matter – not that it'd be any better under…." Her words trailed off and her eyes opened wide at the thought she'd nearly spoken out loud. Neo was far too intelligent to let her words slip away.

"Imperial rule?" he finished quietly. He shrugged. "That may be so. The Empire doesn't much care for aliens, but they treat _us_ well enough," he reminded her, referring to their race. "Either way, Hutt rule is better than Republic rule. Those warmongers would lay waste to Hutta just to conquer it."

She pursed her lips. She'd been with him for some time, but knew he wasn't yet ready for the truth. She was a deep undercover triple agent. She was an agent for the Ascendancy, personal ghost-agent to the Keeper and had a handler in the Republic, Lorianna Onasi. She'd learned firsthand the propaganda the Empire spread about the Republic was not true. Her goal was to slowly create doubt in the Ascendency – to help her people see the truth and side with the Republic. She would never betray her people and she would never betray the Republic. As much as she liked the Keeper, the Empire could rot for all she cared. She didn't dislike everyone in the Empire, she disliked the Empire's morals and sense of honor. She disliked the Sith that ruled everything with an iron fist drenched in blood. But most of the people in the Empire were just blind or oppressed and she had no quarrels with them. Indeed, she had many friends among them – even if they did not truly_ know _her. That was the sad lot about her life. No one would truly ever know her – except Lorianna Onasi. Working with her had opened her eyes and they would never be shut again. She scanned the yellow, smog-filled sky. "I'm not sure Hutta could get any worse," she murmured.

He drew his gaze away from the window to study her. They'd been through a lot of ups and downs over the last few years and he trusted her with his life, for the most part, but sometimes he didn't quite understand her. He knew there were parts of who she was that she kept away from him, but he respected that. He knew what he needed to know about her. He knew she was loyal to him and knew she was far more honorable than he ever could be. At times, she was even his conscience. Not that he didn't have one, but sometimes the lines blurred in his line of work and she helped ground him so that he did not lose his soul to the deceit he lived in, like so many agents did. He looked back out the window at the smog haze. "You might be right about that."

They disembarked with the rest of the passengers when the shuttle touched down and breathed lightly through their mouths so that they did not choke on the stench. Of course, they would get used to it quickly…but the initial punch could make your eyes water and that could wait until they found relative safety.

He checked his datapad for the coordinates they were supposed to go to. Good. Nothing had changed. The only thing he hadn't liked was that the room procured for them was leased for a month. Neither one of them had wanted to remain on this heap that long.

They acted nonchalant as they moved through the port. But it was an act. Their heads moved subtly and they relied heavily on peripheral vision to monitor everything that was happening around them. From an arguing couple, to children racing around to security personnel that seemed bored with their job and paying little attention. Though that too could be a ruse. But he doubted they'd be so well trained as an Imperial agent. Likely, they truly were bored…or worse, apathetic. A movement caught his eye and he pulled her into his arms for a kiss as gamorrean guards chased down a rodian. He wasn't overly worried about the guards noticing them, unlike humans, it was harder to tell chiss apart, though his size worked against him with that generalization. Most agents were average in every way to be able to hide among the masses, he had to be better than other agents because his looks, his musculature and his height made him stand out.

Her soft moan went straight to his groin. She often played his wife on assignments but in this case his lover, for all intents and purposes, and they held nothing back in public. There was no denying their attraction to one another and sometimes they went a little farther than intended due to the attraction, but their _marriage_ had never been consummated…at least not yet. And even if they had to share the same room, they'd never shared the same bed and they'd never kissed in private. Though they'd never said anything to each other, he was certain they both knew that if they did ever share a bed, far more than sleeping would happen on it.

His hand slid over the curve of her ass, his fingertips grazing along her core as he lifted her thigh to press her heat against him. The giggle of children and the gasp of an offended mother brought him back to his senses and he released her leg, dropping his forehead to hers while they tried to regain their composure. "One of these days, I'm going to taste every inch of you, Annora," he murmured softly.

A breath caught in her throat as a shiver raced down her spine. She inhaled a shaky breath and pulled away to resume the direction they'd been going. She knew exactly where they were supposed to meet the Keeper. "In our dreams, Neo," she hissed back in a whispery voice.

He stopped for the briefest moment and grinned, before his long legs brought him back to her side. That was the first time she'd ever actually admitted her attraction to him. The last few years of abstaining might just become worth it. Before they were a team, he'd sleep with a female target to get what he needed from them - but since he'd met her, he found other means to get what he needed. He wasn't a man who liked abstaining, but the games they played with each other were far more stimulating than any easy conquest. "There," he said as he motioned towards the cantina.

She nodded, trying to ignore the looks they were being given, and followed him into the bar. Chiss were not as common on this world – on many worlds, truth be told, so they did tend to stand out…and Neo's mountainous build stood out as much as his dark blue skin and darker blue hair. But it was their solid red eyes that drew most of the attention and unless they work dark glasses, there was no way to hide them. But dark glasses made a being all the more suspicious…like they had something to hide.

They turned a corner into a deserted room and looked at each other questioningly. He glanced back down at the coordinates on the micro-terminal on his wristband. This was where they were supposed to be. A soft chime turned their heads in the direction of a holo-display being used to show a holo-dancer. Neo nodded as Annora sliced into it to program a secure channel.

"I could have done that," he teased.

"True," she admitted. "But I'm faster."

Garrett Thermond pulled his arms behind his back as he observed the two chiss. "Secure transmission established. This is Keeper." He glanced at his personal plant, Annora and then looked at Neo. "We may speak freely, Neo. Prepare to receive your orders."

He studied the man that appeared on the holo. In his forties, balding, but had an air of authority. He'd not had cause to meet the Keeper before. "Are you to be my new handler?"

"Correct, Neo. I'm speaking to you from service headquarters on Dromund Kaas. I'll be directing you personally on this mission. You were chosen for this operation because of your exemplary performance during training and your past assignments. You have proven yourself capable of operating independently in the field. We need that right now. Nem'ro the Hutt and his organization run Jiguuna. You're in town to convince Nem'ro to supply the Empire."

"What can you tell us about this assignment…Keeper?" she asked.

"Jiguuna is an industrial town and Nem'ro runs most of the industry. The Hutt supplies weapons, drugs and raw materials – but not to us. We believe Nem'ro has been reluctant to lose Republic customers by publicly siding with the Empire. It's time he overcame this reluctance. We need to know what Nem'ro and his advisors are thinking before we can act. I want you both to obtain access to the Nem'ro clan's inner circle. You'll require a cover identity. One of our contacts – an alien named Jheeg, has prepared a background for you and will provide you the details."

Neo slipped his hands behind his back at military rest. "Can you tell me anything about this cover identity?"

"You'll be taking the roll as a visiting pirate and trader. As I said, our contact will give you the details. Jheeg will be waiting for you at the safe house. Locate him, take what he offers, then report to me. Keep in mind, most of Jiguuna is caught up in a turf war. Some of the gangs involved belong to the Hutts, others are independent. Expect brutality and expect to be targeted. Jiguuna isn't friendly to strangers. Keeper out."

The coordinates for Jheeg led them to a small pre-fab not far from the casino. With the very unsavory riff-raff that populated Hutta, they were both glad that they'd left their bags on the ship. Jheeg, as it turned out, was an arcona.

Jheeg looked up from his datapad and blinked. He had not been informed the contacts would be chiss, though it didn't really matter. He knew this pair was who he was expecting. "You are here softly, from the Empire. I am Jheeg. I am expecting you. I have your new identities." He cocked his head to the left. "You know the Red Blade?" He could not see recognition in the chiss' eyes. No matter. "Small-time pirate. Rich. Mysterious. No one knows true species, gender, color. I planted rumors, made Nem'ro think the Red Blade is going to visit – enjoy Hutt palace, do business. You will be the Blade. No one will doubt you." He glanced at the female chiss. "You will be Sola, the Blade's technician."

"What is to say that the real Red Blade won't show up?" he inquired. That could become a major flaw in this cover story.

"No. Real Blade is far away now, looking for new trade in Outer Rim. Out of contact; won't cause a problem. Only one concern: I arranged tribute for Nem'ro, gifts imported from the Empire, but there was …interference at the space port."

When the arcona said nothing more, Neo prodded him. "What kind of interference?"

"Gang steals from docks. Dangerous men, unaware of us. Nem'ro's tribute taken. But I saw everything - I observed well, yes?"

"Then we will just buy them back." It was obvious the arcona wanted to say more. He motioned with his finger for Jheeg to continue.

"There is no time. I propose solution: you quickly eliminate gang members. Only method to recover gifts, remove witnesses." He nodded his head in encouragement.

Neo did not like murder for the sake of murder, but he would not mourn gang members that hurt others because they felt entitled. "Fine," he replied with very little emotion. He felt Annora's small hand on his forearm and gave her the barest of nods. He would not kill unless he was given no choice.

Jheeg nodded, unaware of the meaning behind the subtle communication, though could read their pheromones easily. They were a tight knit pair, their pheromones responding to each other almost as if predicting what the other would need. It was an intricate dance and he wondered if they were courting or mated. "I will communicate plan to our handlers. Speak again once Nem'ro's tribute has been recovered."

There first stop was at the docks. They found a secure location, set up a blind and waited. After several hours, it was Annora that caught the suspicious activities first. They watched the men load up crates on hover tables and, under the cover of darkness, they left out a side exit at the port. An alarm should have been triggered, but it had not. She held up a small device and pressed the trigger. A small transmitter shot from the gun and tagged one of the crates.

They were able to follow the thieves from a safe distance. They were expecting to find a warehouse, but were surprised to see the crates being unloaded at a small, two-story, prefab. A home…not a warehouse. When the delivery boys took the last crate into the home, Annora sliced the door's lock and they slipped into the house behind them. There were only two people inside, one on the first level and one on the second. The two men they'd followed refused to surrender. The Empires' tagged goods were located on the second floor. They laid the two crates on the hover-trailer and hopped the speeder that hauled it. They took the back allies to get back to Jheeg. It was late, but if they had to be up then so did the arcona.

They were surprised when Jheeg opened the door as if he'd been expecting them. Likely, he had very strategic surveillance that alerted him to their approach. It's what he would have done.

Jheeg motioned to the crates and waved them in. "All witnesses eliminated? Gifts recovered. I will examine." He put the code in to unlock the crates and smiled. "Good. Many things Nem'ro wants, things Nem'ro likes. Once Nem'ro has his gifts, all his suspicions go away. You become a pirate. You become Red Blade."

Neo inclined his head to the arcona. "You've done well. The Empire is grateful to you." Even if Jheeg had not done his job properly, there was no sense burning bridges.

"Yes. The Empire shows its gratitude generously."

"Contact us when we can move forward, Jheeg." He slipped his arm around Annora's waist. "Come, let us retire for the evening."

Since they didn't have a room yet, they retired to the shuttle they'd been given to use, ate a quick dinner and went to their separate rooms. He to the captain's quarters and she to what would have been considered a XO cabin, had this been a military ship. But since it was a shuttle, it had two very small rooms, likely once storage compartments. Still, more secure than anything on Hutta.

Come morning, they still had not heard anything, so they explored the area, making sure to call each other Blade and Sola to cement their personas here on Hutta. That evening, they found themselves at a lounge in the palace for dinner, wine poured freely and the dancing was exhilarating. They were a few times they'd let loose together, but this time was different. This time the stakes were higher. This time, they'd already admitted their attraction to each other and that put a far different sway to each dance step.

Three years she'd put him off. Three years she'd fought the attraction to avoid the mess it could create. He may have started out a job, but she'd come to care for him a great deal through their first year together. He had become a friend that she could count on. If she knew they could give into this attraction and not let things get messy, she would do so in a blink. She shivered as his lips trailed along her jaw to her ear. She felt the feathering of his breath and the grazing of his teeth against her lobe.

"Time to go if we're to get any sleep tonight," he murmured. Though, sleep was the last thing he wanted right now. What he wanted was in his arms. What he wanted was a woman who'd been masquerading as his wife for the last three years.

Arm and arm, they left the lounge and walked the short distance from the palace to the port and boarded their shuttle. A few more daring beings had crept out to eye them as a possible target, but one look at him and they disappeared back into the shadows. He was not dressed as a pirate tonight and he did not have his sniper on him, but he did have two very large and wicked daggers at his hip. That and his size were enough to keep the ruffians at bay.

The walk back to the shuttle was silent, but not uncomfortable. They'd been together too long for silence to be awkward. Awkward awaited them aboard the shuttle. Once the ramp closed behind them and they headed towards their beds, the tension mounted, which she'd expected to happen. She raised her hand to his chest when he backed her up against the wall. "What do you want from me, Neo? I'm not a casual girl. I'm not asking for undying love, but I am demanding monogamy." There...that ought to scare him away.

He picked her up and pinned her against the ship's wall. "There has been no one since I met you, Annora. I've already given you three years of monogamy – I think I've proven…" her lips cut him off and that was all the encouragement that he needed. He groaned into the kiss when her legs encircled him and locked him tight against her heat. He slid his arms around her, carried her into his cabin, and lowered her to the bed. After three years, he intended to make sure this was a night she remembered…a night she would want repeated over and over again.

He'd intended to go slow and savor every inch of her as he revealed it, but she was tearing at their clothing. "You know…I had this slow seduction all planned out…" he crooned to her as the last bits of their clothing ended up in a pile on the side of the bed.

She looked up at him as her hand lowered to stroke his arousal. "I've been celibate for years, Neo…I don't want to wait another moment to feel you inside of me."

He pulled back from the pleasure of her hand, knowing it wouldn't take much to spill his seed. He couldn't wait either, but he would see to her pleasure first – no matter how badly he ached to fill her. He quickly slid down her body and lowered his gaze to her swollen, wet petals. He would arouse her slowly later, for now….he spread her soft folds and drew the swollen nub into the heat of his mouth. He gripped her hips to hold her in place when they arched up at the erotic contact. He looked up. Her breasts were quivering with each harsh breath, the dark teal peaks almost painfully tight. "I want to see you watch me…" he breathed out across her sensitive flesh.

His tongue slowly stroked the fully aroused nub as she rose up on one elbow. Her muscles tightened, quivering, and she cried out at the sight and feel of his tongue flicking and grinding against her. Her free hand sank into his dark blue hair to cradle his head against her. "Suckle me…" When his lips sealed around her, her hips jolted with electric pleasure. She bit her lip to keep from screaming and then his tongue worked her even as he continued to suckle her and the scream tore from her lips as waves of pleasure rocketed through her.

She wanted to ride his mouth, but he was already gone. Before she understood what happened, he was buried deep inside of her, stretching her further than she'd ever been stretched, but the pleasure outweighed the pain. The aftershocks of her orgasm were prolonged by the slow thrusts into her. Her legs wrapped around him and she angled her hips until he was stroking against a very sensitive spot that radiated a different kind of pleasure, though no less intense.

His mouth captured her cries and split her attention between the two pleasures. He was far too large to suckle her breasts while he filled her, he was already bent just to reach her mouth. But he did put all his weight on one elbow so that he could caress her breast and tease her nipple. Pleasure rippled through her and her thighs tightened as she rode each thrust mercilessly, propelling them towards the extasy that awaited them.

Her body stiffened beneath him, but he did not slow his movements. Her muscles clamped down around him and his control snapped completely. His hand lowered to grip her hip as he emptied himself inside her with a guttural cry. Then she was riding him hard again until her orgasm finished. He brushed his lips against hers, rubbed her nose with his and then dropped his sweaty forehead to hers. He'd been overly sensitive after he came, so the pleasure of her hard ride bordered pain, but it had been worth it. He grinned when he noticed her body trembled and shook as much as his own. "Let's not wait another three years…" he murmured.

She laughed softly as her fingers caressed his back. "Not after I know what you can do to me."

He rolled them onto their sides and pulled her thigh up to rest on his hips so he could remain deep with her gripping walls. "You say such beautiful things to me."

Although, they woke each other up a couple of more times during the night, they rose in the morning far more refreshed than they expected. They showered and were just finishing up breakfast when they received the call.

In less than twenty minutes they were at Jheeg's.

"Imperial handlers wished me to bring you here. I've just contacted handlers. The call is arriving now," Jheeg informed them.

As soon as Garrett saw his agents in the room, he turned to Jheeg. "Jheeg. From this point forward, operational security will be at a premium. You will not contact us from this terminal again."

Jheeg nodded. "Yes. Leaving for your privacy. I will await contact."

Garrett watched the arcona leave and then leveled his gaze on Neo. "I understand you two corrected Jheeg's mishandling of the situation, Neo. We'll proceed now."

"Acknowledged and understood, Keeper."

"Your next task is to access Nem'ro's inner circle. Present yourself to the Hutt as a fellow gangster – the Red Blade – and offer him Jheeg's gifts. One of the gifts is implanted with a listening device, which we will use to monitor conversations within Nem'ro's palace."

Annora nodded. "Good call. I assume you are trying to find out weaknesses or exploitable corruption within?"

"We are," Garrett responded with a nod. Her intelligence and quick thinking were why he'd chosen her as his personal ghost agent. She was not on Imperial or sith radar, she was not an implanted agent. To anyone who knew her she was simply one of the best tech engineers around. But she was also his long-arm and had been ever since she'd saved his life five years ago by detecting lies and deception that would have trapped him and led to his death. For the past three years he'd assigned her to Neo, though Neo was unaware. Neo had shown the most promise of anyone during his training and through her he evaluated the chiss in depth during his first three years as an agent. Despite his race and memorable size, he was a superb agent – though limited in the scope of what he could do due to those attributes. "Even if the Hutt won't join us, we might influence his lieutenants. Talk to Nem'ro and his men. Determine who we can turn and how we can sway them. We will be listening. Oh – be careful what you say – and lose the accent. When you're in the Hutt palace, you're no longer an Imperial. Contact me from the cantina once Nem'ro has his presents. Keeper out."

He looked at Annora and chuckled. "Maybe we are not Imperial on Hutta but we might as well be, since the known galaxy equates the Ascendency with the Empire."

"Not every chiss is raised in the Ascendency," she reminded him.

"Perhaps not, but most are and it raises suspicion. We have no room for errors," he warned.

-BREAK ONE-

She laughed softly and grabbed his shirt to pull him down towards her. "That just makes the game more exciting." She squealed when he swept her up in one arm. His mouth crashed down on hers before she finished the sound. Her arms looped around his neck. Distracted by the fiery kiss, she hadn't realized her pants were lowered until he was plunging into her. Apparently, there was a lot that man could do with one hand…then all thought disappeared as she rode the waves of pleasure.

He continued to hold her, one arm clamped around her, his other hand stroked the soft mound of her ass while her inner walls continued to spasm around him. It would seem that now that he was released from three years of celibacy that he was making up for lost time. He pulled out only after the last remnants of her orgasm faded away. With one last kiss, he gripped her pants with both hands, raising her pants over her hips as he lowered her to the ground.

He grunted when she stroked his still swollen shaft.

She looked down at his dark blue shaft, the bead of excitement standing out like a beacon. "Had I known you were still so eager, I wouldn't have let you stop." She drew her fingertip across the small pearl and brought it her lips. Her tongue darted out slowly to taste him. She smiled when his chest rumbled and his shaft jerked in her hand. She pulled gently on his arousal as she moved towards a chair. It hit the backs of her knees and she fell back into it. She rolled and teased his testicles in one hand while her other pumped his thick root.

He was at her mercy and beyond caring. Hell, he didn't even care if Jheeg walked in at this point – though he doubted the man would until they departed. Rational thought fled when he felt her warm breath fan over him. His gaze lowered to meet hers and then dropped further to watch her mouth and tongue make love to him. He knew she watched him intently and he hid nothing from her. She deserved to see every bit of the pleasure she gave him. His large hands slipped through her metallic ash-blonde hair, not to force her or guide her but simple to caress and touch her.

Her hands and mouth knew just what to do to wring the most pleasure out of him and he was drowning under it. He felt himself thicken and his balls grow tight. "I'm going to come," he warned in a throaty murmur, giving her time to finish him by hand if she did not wish take all of him. But she didn't stop and his hips jerked with a powerful release. She suckled him hard until he had nothing left to give and then tucked him back into his pants. He lifted her and settled her feet on the chair to claim her mouth without hunching over. "Tonight, you will be at my mercy." He pulled back after a promising kiss and plucked her off the chair to lower her to the floor. "Let's go visit the palace."

They ordered a drink in the central lounge and nursed it as they listened in on the conversations around them. When one story came to ear, they glanced at each other and nodded. It would appear that one of the Hutt's lieutenants had fallen into disfavor recently. That could be the opportunity they were looking for. After a few discreet inquiries, they were able to get Karrels' location and description. Thankfully, he was also the man who could take him to the Hutt. They found him in conversation with a disreputable looking rattataki female. Thanks to his hearing implant he was able to pick up on their conversation.

"The pirate's on his way. Security droids say he's armed, but he won't be trouble." Kaliyo told Karrels. "He's got his little tech toady with him – hear he started going everywhere with her recently. Hot couple - I bet their banging."

Karrel's shook his head. "I don't care who warms his bed - but let's hope you're right about them not causing trouble. They're here now." Chiss. That was a surprise. He hadn't pegged him for an Imperial…though he'd heard the Blade was large. That had certainly been no stretch of the truth.

Kaliyo smirked. "I'll go tell the boss."

Karrels nodded and opened a call to the Hutt's guards. "This is Karrells. Tell the throne room that the Blade's arrived."

Karrels looked up and met the Blade's unnerving red eyes. Red Blade, indeed. Kinda ironic. "When Nem'ro shows, stay at least five meters back and don't come up unless you're called. One wrong move and you're a pile of ash."

"Is the mighty Nem'ro afraid of a little Red Blade?" he taunted.

Karrels bit back a grin. The chiss seemed to have no fear, which meant either he was stupid or he had nothing to live for. He did not peg the man as stupid. "There's nothing little about you, Blade – and he probably should be. Just going over the rules. You've got a reputation, and we don't want any problems." He motioned the pair to follow him as he entered the Hutt's chamber. "Allow me to present Nem'ro the Hutt – the illustrious crime-king of Jiguuna."

Nem'ro chortled. "So, the Red Blade finally comes to visit the house of Nem'ro. Great honor comes to the both of us. You are younger than I imagined…and bluer. Ha! But youth is good in a business partner. And you are proof enough that even the honorable chiss can fall."

He saw a look of greed as the Hutt glanced behind him. Two crates were being brought in. His so-called tribute to the fat slug.

"Now," Nem'ro almost beamed. "Let us see if the legends of the mighty Blade's generosity are true. What have you brought me and my clan?"

"Dazzling trinkets of favor, mighty Nem'ro." His grin did not falter when Nem'ro eyes narrowed on him.

"I do not care about trinkets, little pirate." Why was the chiss so boldly smiling at his displeasure? He should be trembling in fear of the mighty Nem'ro.

"Nice!" Karells stated as he looked through the crates. "Nem'ro – the idols here are real aurodium. The cloth looks like -"

Nem'ro held up a stubby arm. "I see, Karrels, I see. Mmmm…." So, the wily pirate preferred to understate things. He would keep that in mind when dealing with him. "You are an impressive creature, Blade, and your assistant is most becoming. Give her to me."

He stiffened, his gaze narrowing on the Hutt. "She's not on the table, great Nem'ro. She's mine."

Nem'ro exaggerated a yawn and nodded. He didn't think the pirate would sell her to him and the tribute was more than he'd anticipated, so he chose to let it go. "You may conduct your dealings on Hutta with my approval. Now -experience the luxuries of my palace. Enjoy my slaves and wallow in opulence."

He inclined his head to the Hutt. "We are very grateful for your hospitality. We shall enjoy our stay as you said."

"Good, very good! Let me introduce my advisors. You have met Karrels Javis; any business you have, you may discuss with him. And this is Toth'lazhen," he motioned to the twi'lek who was busy on his micro-terminal.

"Bantha balls…" Toth'lazhen grumbled. "Nem'ro – we have little time for guests right now. Security reports that Fa'athra and his clan have struck our shipments again."

Neo blinked at the loud howl that burst from the Hutt.

"Jiguuna is mine! Hutta is mine! Fa'athra knows he defies the laws of the Cartel! I will destroy everything Fa'athra treasures and -"

Karrels motioned them to follow him out of the room. "Looks like your audience with Nem'ro is over. You'll have to forgive the interruption. I've been working for that Hutt since he killed my gang when I was thirteen. Trust me – you can't talk to him when he's like that."

Neo shook his head in wonder. "Killed your – why are you working with him if he killed your people?"

Karrels shrugged. "I was just a kid with no place to go. Nem'ro's got power and smarts, along with that temper. I like things a little more orderly than he does, but I don't complain." He cracked his knuckles. "We're having trouble with the Fa'athra clan and it's getting to all of us. Fa'athra's out of line, but the Hutt Cartel hasn't bothered to interfere."

"So, it's a turf war – What are you feuding over?" he inquired.

"Everything – the mines, the factories, the slaving operations…" Karrels stopped his flow of words and stood straighter. "Now, look – I need to work up new plans with security and keep an eye on Toth'lazhen to keep him from suggesting anything stupid. In the meantime, you're both guests. Your suite is A4. You've got the run of the palace, so I'll see you around."

"That you will." He shook Karrels' hand and then held his arm out to Annora. "Come, Sola, dear. Let us find some entertainment, my love."

They returned to the lounge and dined. Their inane small talk covered the fact that they were keenly listening to what others were saying. The dance floor allowed them to burn off a little energy and when the main crowd left for the evening, they retired to their suit. Annora scanned the room and neutralized three surveillance devices. "We're clean now," she told him.

He could have performed the deed himself, but he had to concede her tech skills were on par with his own – perhaps better if he was honest with himself, so he allowed her to handle that aspect. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel like nothing more than a sidekick. "For now…but I intend for us to get wickedly dirty very soon."

She sighed dramatically and looked down at her nails. "Promises…prom -" the word ended in a shriek when he tossed her on the bed and made good on his promise.

They spent the next several days scouting, locating the lines between Fa'athra and Nem'ro as well as what each was doing to the other. It was essentially a civil war and those never ended well. When they weren't out investigating, they were spending free time with Karrels and even Toth'lazhen on occasion. Of course, they gave full disclosure to Karrels on anything Toth'lazhen told them that wouldn't compromise Toth'lazhen's trust. They'd even helped prevent a couple of raids from Fa'athra's men.

A couple of days in, they were forced to kill a scoundrel who demanded money to keep silent about how he knew Neo wasn't the real Red Blade. Paying off people like that only led to future payouts…a never-ending cycle. When he'd refused to pay the zabrak, the man had actually threatened to kill them and take over whatever Neo was up to. Good luck with that. Needless to say, the zabrak had become an unstable loose end that had to be neutralized.

Five days later, the holo-terminal in their room chimed in the middle of the night. He pulled on his pants while she slipped into one of his shirts that went down to her knees. He activated the console and Keeper appeared.

"I didn't mean to pull you both from your beds, but we are on opposite daylight hours and what we've discovered needs to be acted upon. First off, well done, agent. The listening device has been working perfectly and Nem'ro can keep no more secrets from us. Imperial Intelligence has determined that Nem'ro's human lieutenant, Karrels Jarvis, is the weak link in his operation. You're going to twist the man until he serves us."

"We've already been working on it, Keeper. We'd heard rumors that he was falling into disfavor and chose to ingratiate ourselves into his life. We've already helped prevent a couple of raids from Fa'athra's men. Karrels is starting to look better already and he is very thankful for our assistance.

Garrett just blinked and then laughed. It was not something he did much of unless he was taking a vacation with his wife. "I do not know why I am surprised at your ingenuity. You both have surpassed my expectations – but then you always have, which is why I chose you both for this assignment. Do whatever you can to further weaken Fa'athra's interference. One other thing, agent. This operation of ours has drawn the attention of a member of the Dark Council – Darth Jadus himself. The Council's authority is second only to that of the Emperor. It's a rare…_honor_ for an Intelligence operation to be overseen in this way." He would do what he could to protect Neo from the sith, but he knew there were some battles even he could not win.

Neo's lips tightened. Honor indeed. Nothing good happened with a sith put their fingers into Intelligence matters. "I understand, Keeper." It was obvious the Keeper was as irritated as he was – they were both impotent to do anything about it.

"Report back when Karrols is back in favor – as much as he can be. Keeper out."

Later that morning, it was Karrels that came to their room to talk.

Neo poured drinks and they settled around the table. "We were going to drop by later and ask if you'd want to come to dinner with us. Seems my…Sola has made friends with a woman by the name of Niami and she didn't want Niami to feel uncomfortable by feeling like the odd man out. We hoped you might do us a favor - "

Karrels laughed and wiped his eyes. "You two setting me up, Blade? Don't think I've ever been on a blind date, come to think of it. Sure…" he said with another laugh. "I'll entertain this Niami tonight." He wasn't sure what Niami would think of him though. He wasn't the same man he'd been before he took on a desk job. He absently patted his belly and then took a long pull of his drink as his features sobered. "I need to talk to you," he admitted.

Neo leaned back in his chair. "What's on your mind, Karrels?"

Karrels rubbed the back of his neck and took another pull on his drink. "You've been around the galaxy a few times – what's it like dealing with the Empire?"

In this persona, he had no affiliation with the Empire and could not speak of its benefits. "The Empire's a pain to deal with. I stay away from it…these days."

He rubbed his chin. "You're lucky to have that luxury. Not many of us do. The Hutts have taken control of the gangs. And I think real soon, the Republic and the Empire will want control of the Hutts – even if Nem'ro won't believe it. So, if we gotta pick a side, I wanna pick a winner…and I don't see the Empire losing."

"You don't? It has lost to the Republic before. I'm not about to place bets on it coming out the winner in a new war. No…don't ever get political. It will bite you in the ass every time. The money is on playing both sides. Give them each what they need. We all walk away happy."

There was truth in the chiss' words. "My sons are free traders – they're doing business in the Sullust System. It's their first time dealing with the Empire, so I worry. I probably shouldn't."

He shook his head. "Not true – it is every parent's job to worry. Just warn them to stay away from sith and jedi…that kind of power will corrupt anyone and make them dangerous."

"I'll do that. Thank you, Blade…for hearing me out. Now…I have a favor to ask of you. Nem'ro's been stirring in his slime since we lost a shipment of the rare ores in the evocii lands. He blames me for some reason. The evocii are natives that mostly hate us for stealing their land. If you'll get that shipment back, you'd have my appreciation and then some."

"Of course we will, Karrels," Annora assured him. She would try to do it without killing the natives.

"Thanks. I – just thank you. There's an evocii workcamp outside of Jiguuna. Nem'ro set it up for some evocii that wanted peace. Bad deal; poor rubes. The chief there, Odeph, was supposed to talk to the other evocii tribes about returning the ore, but he didn't come through. He knows something, though."

"Then we'll find out what he knows. It won't be a problem," he told Karrels. "We'll head out to the camp in the morning."

Karrels nodded and slapped his thighs before he rose from his seat. "I should get back to the grind before I'm missed. See you both…and Niami, tonight."

After he left, they researched the Hutt/evocii relationship. Apparently, the natives knew nothing about business, but were impressed by what they'd never known. Over time, they became indebted to the Hutts. Eventually, the Hutts took over the planet – all but enslaving the natives. She looked up at Neo. "The evocii were at the mercy of a race that did not know the word. I would like to approach the evocii diplomatically. Perhaps we can come to an agreement we all will benefit from."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and released a short breath. "In as much as anything _can _benefit them. Even removing the Hutts from Hutta will not improve their quality of life. The planet is far too polluted. But I agree. I have no desire to add to the hardship the natives are facing."

-BREAK TWO-

Annora tucked herself into Neo's side, her body still thrumming from Neo'ss exquisite lovemaking. The evening had gone just as she'd hoped. Karrel's and Niami hit it off. Whether things went any further between them, who could say? But they'd had an enjoyable dinner and the pair had elected to continue the evening after she and Neo retired. It would seem that beauty could be found even on a nasty little planet like Hutta. Maybe Niami would take Karrels with her when she left on her freighter, Night Hawk. She liked Karrels and that meant that she wanted to see him far from Hutta. Her thoughts evaporated as fingers stroked along her hip, tracing a path downward to stroke her into wanton need once more.

The morning came before either of them were ready, as mornings often did. But they had a shipment to retrieve from the natives. They hopped on their speeders and navigated through the walled city and out into the 'wilds' beyond, where plants dared to grow once more. It was high summer and rains must have been scarce. The grass was browning, but is was still a far more welcoming sight than the dusty dried out city, with but a token tree or plant to break up the dreary landscape. The air was not pure – she doubted anyplace on Hutta could claim that honor, but life had found away and nature was determined to survive…much as the natives themselves. No, the air out here smelled of more than just chemicals. It was dank with the scent of wet and decomposing vegetation. Swamps were nearby. Not her favorite place to visit. Swamps meant bugs and creepy-crawlies. Perhaps even more dangerous predators. But it also meant life.

She could not feel the 'force' - or so she believed. But she could feel the life surrounding them. The animals, the people, the leaves that whispered through the breeze. She would never admit to anyone that she was force-sensitive. Her own people considered it impure, despite the fact that her pedigree was distinguished. Many still refused to believe that they had any links to human ancestry…that they were never once human themselves. From what she knew, force-sensitives left the Ascendency to live quiet lives on distant planets. She did not know any who left to train with the jedi or sith. So, she only used her talents as a lie detector. As far as her superiors were concerned, she was simply hyper-observant…and that was how it would remain.

She glanced over at Neo as they followed a dirt pathway. There were so many lies between them. What they had was great, but it could never go further. The lies were a wall they would never be able to get around. So long as the Ascendency was in the grasp of the Empire…so long as the Empire threatened the galaxy, she was stuck in the life she'd made for herself. She was not proud of what she'd done in her life. Never that. But what she did she deemed necessary. And the consequences of her actions were her burden to bear alone. Alone…in the end that would be all she was left with.

"Sola…" It was the second time he'd called her name. He raised his hand to activate the tiny, flesh colored communicator embedded in the fold of his ear. "Annora…are you well?" He spoke quietly, despite the rumble of the speeder. Their communicators were top of the line and voice configured. The barest whisper could be picked up and amplified, while background noises were cancelled completely. These devices were normally used between an agent and their handlers, but Annora had managed to get hold of a pair and reconfigured them to use a private frequency, so that their communications were unrecordable. He wasn't sure what he'd do when she moved on. Would he be able to find anyone even half as talented as she was? He doubted he could replace her if he wanted to. And he wasn't sure he wanted to. She wasn't replaceable. If he lost her, he'd continue on alone. But, hopefully, it would be some time before he had to face that issue.

"I'm fine, Blade…just lost in thoughts. The coordinates lead to that small home over there," she said as she pointed to the right as she steered her speeder to the side of the small hut. She powered it down and waited for him to join her before approaching the hut.

"You said you were going to get the ore back!" The deep voice was followed by the sound of flesh being struck. She frowned and stepped into the entryway. An evocii was bent over, clutching at his head.

"I've done all I can," the evocii said wearily, trying to hold back the nausea caused by the painful blow. "They…the other tribes will not listen."

"If you say so," the thug sneered, not even caring if the ugly alien spoke the truth or not. His fist tightened and he pulled back for a shot to the alien's kidney. If they even had them.

"I would suggest you rethink that move," Annora growled, her hand poised over her blaster.

His arm stilled mid-swing and he turned towards the newcomers, which may well be a more worrisome threat by the tone in the woman's voice. Great two more aliens. Chiss…wait…his gaze rose to meet the intimidating stare of the large male's red eyes. "Hey – you the Red Blade?" Of course, he was. There was talk everywhere about the massive chiss. "Heard you were coming. Thought we'd soften the chief up for you."

Her eyes narrowed on the three humans. "More like, you were bullying someone who doesn't have the means to fight back. Get out of here," she warned.

The man's brow lifted. "You always let your woman do the talking for you, Blade?" he inquired.

"A wise man knows how to keep his bed warm at night. Now do what the lady told you to do." He took an aggressive step forward. "Leave."

The man grunted his displeasure. He may not like being told to leave by damned aliens, but he did not want to mess with the Red Blade. "Guess even a mountain can be pussy-whipped. Come on, boys. We've wasted enough time with these swamp rats."

She sucked in a harsh breath and forced herself to release it slowly, before she did something she would regret to those ignorant humans.

"I..I am Odeph of the Evocii. Leader of the Voam, sacred keeper of the histories. I greet you in peace…and I am…grateful for your timely intervention." He inclined his head to the chiss.

"Are you in need of medical assistance?" she asked softly.

"No," Odeph said with a slight shake of his head. "Thank you, but no." He knew why the chiss were here. There would be no other reason for them to have entered an evocii village. "You've come about the ores, I think. I swear it was one of the other tribes who attacked your shipment. Evocii who refuse peace. In gratitude to Nem'ro for all he has done, I spoke to my…misguided brothers. But they will not return Nem'ro's metals." He rubbed his hand over his bald pate. He hated violence, but so many of the young…it was all they could think about.

"They aren't willing to negotiate?" Neo asked as he folded his arms over his chest.

Odeph shook his head slowly. "The tribes – they stole the shipment to spite the Hutts, and to use for themselves. They will make weapons…machines. They took the metals to their great village in the swamps. Only a beast or shadow can enter – seek the shipment there, if you wish."

"Thank you," Neo said with an incline of his head. "We appreciate that you were willing to speak with us."

"I only want peace," Odeph said grimly. "We cannot survive a war against the Hutts. My people are dying needlessly. One day, either the Republic or the Empire will come. Until then, we must make peace with the past before it destroys any hope for a future."

"You are a wise man, Odeph. I hope the other tribes will eventually heed your words." She nodded to Neo and he joined her as she left the hut. She could feel the weight of the chief's stare. He probably did not know what to make of them. She doubted very many people treated the evocii with compassion on this filthy planet.

They hopped back onto their speeders and made their way through the village and past the walls that protected it or perhaps the boundary was a precaution to be used if the Hutts wanted to wall them in. The latter was likely more true than the former.

They followed the dirt road towards the left, cutting through the trees to avoid more hostile armed evocii. The skimmed over a small pond and pulled up when the putrid scent of decay made breathing difficult. "There!" Neo exclaimed; his arm outstretched to point to the bodies that littered the ground. They saw four crates, though it appeared that there must have been more, because fresh drag marks tore a ragged path through the undergrowth.

He swung off the speeder and moved closer to the four remaining crates to scan them. "Ore…" he murmured. "This must be what's left of the shipment of stolen ore. Pull the ties from the seats of the speeders and we'll get these back to Karrels."

He hefted the crates onto the speeders and worked with Annora to get them tied down securely. With a satisfied nod, he swung his leg over the seat of the speeder, grunting when the speeder sank dangerously close to the ground. "It is probably best we stick to even terrain for now. Not sure my speeder can handle too much ground distortion at the moment."

Her hand rose to her mouth to cover a giggle before it could escape. "We'll see about working off those love handles later, Blade," she teased with a wink before turning sharply around and heading back towards the palace.

They swung around the far end of the palace until they located a shady alcove and pulled up. "I'll meet with Karrels and find out where he wants these delivered. I'm not sure if he'd appreciate a holo-communicator call. He might be trying to keep this quiet. I'll be back soon." He grazed his thumb over her cheek and brushed his lips across her forehead.

His lips twitched as he hurried towards the front of the palace. A big, bad pirate with a soft spot. He cut through the palace bar to reach the room where Karrels tended to do most of his work. He spotted the rattataki seated at a table, just like he noted everything, but he paid her little mind.

"Slow down, Blade." Kaliyo rose from her chair and rested her backside against the small gaming table. His little blue shadow wasn't with him. How interesting…and how encouraging. The best way to learn all a man's secrets was pillow talk. "Stay with me awhile – we haven't had the chance to talk." She pushed off the table when he turned towards her. "I'm Kaliyo. Nem'ro puts me in charge of the good stuff: his guns, his troops…the safety of his little palace. You can spare some time for me, right?"

His large armed crossed over his massive chest and his gaze narrowed on hers. "I have a minute, but not much more. What do you want?"

Touchy. She could do touchy. "You've got a nasty reputation, you know. I hear you went and murdered poor Dheno Rey right over there," she said as she pointed to a location a bit closer to the bar. "What was that about, Blade?"

"If you know my reputation, then you know I don't need a reason. But as it was, he had it coming. That's all you need to know," he growled.

"Is it now? Well, it's too bad. He had a pretty face before you messed with it. Me, I'm betting you and Dheno has something else going on. You had a reason for coming to Nem'ro's house – maybe money, maybe power…maybe just to play games and stir things up a bit." She shrugged her slender shoulders and glided slowly towards the very large chiss. "I like to think you'll be trouble, Blade. You'll be bloodthirsty. Treacherous." She looked up at him, her body nearly brushing against his. "Because I could enjoy keeping an eye on a bloodthirsty, traitorous pirate."

He refused to give any ground to her, but his hands clenched at his side. "Do what you will, but stay out of my way." He leaned down towards her with a sneer on his lips. "Because I'm more traitorous than you will ever know." The tattoos dripping down her face were as unappealing as she was irritating.

She shivered with the ominous growl of his words and one corner of her lips rose. "Touchy. I can deal with touchy." Her shoulders swayed just a bit. "If you are trouble, take your time. I'd hate to stick a blaster to your pretty head or a slave collar around your large, very muscular neck before I've seen _everything_ you can do." She winked and slowly slid past him.

"Watch your back, Kaliyo," he warned. He didn't take well to threats and right now, he had the urge to bury a knife in her back.

She barely turned her head. "I'll watch yours. You can watch mine…"

He frowned as she stepped out into the main bar and shook his head. That woman was trouble. He knew just what to do with trouble. He would deal with her later. He approached Karrels and Toth'lazhen, who were deep into a discussion.

Karrels grumbled. "Fa'athra will not stop his mining operation. He's going to keep tapping our gas pocket and cut our supply in half!"

The twi'lek gave a sharp shake of his head, his lekku swayed with the movement. "When Fa'athra's customers see he can't refine the gas the way we can, they will return to us. How is that a problem?"

"Bah!" Karrels scoffed. "Don't play dumb with me, Toth'lazhen. Fa'athra doesn't need to steal our customers if he doesn't leave us any gas to sell. And we can't uproot him without help -"

A heavy thud on the floor drew Toth'lazhen's attention. He frowned at the large chiss. "I will not discuss this in front of an outsider, Karrels! Enough."

Karrels watched the twi'lek storm away and then looked up at the pirate. "Idiot," he grumbled. "Sorry about that, Blade. 'Legitimate' business brings out the worst in us. Makes me miss actual crime, you know?" He exhaled slowly. "Any news about the ore shipment?"

He nodded. "Bring a loader to the northeast side of the castle in the alcove. We've got four crates waiting for you." He sent the man the coordinates.

Karrels flipped on his micro-terminal and ordered a loader for a pickup at the coordinates supplied to him. He motioned with his hand towards a couple of chairs. "Come on, let's have a seat while we wait for the pickup."

Neo lowered himself into the chair next to the older, one-eyed man. "Need me to help you stop Fa'athra?"

His eyes widened on the chiss, stunned that he would say such a thing, and shook his head quickly. "Don't bite off more than you can chew, Blade. I don't want to see you dead."

"Do not worry, my friend. He won't even see me coming until it is too late…maybe not even then," Neo told him. "I don't have to go in with blasters blazing and bellowing to the rafters. I can be covert when I have to be." He shrugged at the older man's disbelief. "I have eyes and ears everywhere. You'd be surprised what I can do."

"Don't do anything stupid. I don't have many people I can call friend -" Karrels rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "and I don't want to lose one." He was glad the blush did not show on his dark skin. "I mean, Toth'lazhen is ass awful at social interaction."

"You don't survive long doing what I do if you stand in stupid." Time for a change of subject, it was obvious Karrels was uncomfortable about his admission. Though the admission was both surprising and touching. "Sola tells me you and Niami have another date lined up."

Karrels slapped his thighs and leaned back into the chair with a small laugh. "We do. Then I suppose you heard things went better than okay between us."

He grinned at the older man. "You might say that. Word is…you're a man of many talents."

"Yeah, well…don't let this belly fool ya," he said as he patted his girth. "I was good with the ladies…once."

"Sounds like you still are," he cajoled with sincerity.

He nodded. His night with Niami went a long way towards boosting his confidence again. "Maybe so, Blade. Niami's a remarkable woman. I'm glad you introduced us."

"Sola will be pleased to hear that," he told Karrels.

The older man flicked at an imaginary piece of lint on his pants. "I'm just wondering how long it's going to take for her to realize I'm no good for her. She's a better person than I have ever been." He cleared his throat. He couldn't believe he was baring himself to the pirate. "You know, you're not what I expected, Blade. In a good way," he amended quickly.

"You would be surprised at what the love of a good woman can do to a man," he admitted to Karrels. "Though, I expect you to keep that between the two of us – I have a reputation to uphold."

"Maybe I'll have the chance to find out, I -" His micro-terminal chimed and he read the message, a grin spreading over his lips. "We've got the crates and the fee's been transferred to your account – you'll have access by the time you're back at your apartment." He planted his hands on the chair's arms and shoved off into a stand. "You two have earned every credit…and my thanks. I'd buy you a drink at the cantina, but I need to have a word with Nem'ro. I'll be seeing you soon, Blade, my friend." He clapped the large chiss on the shoulder as he passed him by.

"Good luck with the Hutt," Neo said, raising his voice just enough to be heard.

"I'll need it," Karrels grumbled as he disappeared into another room.

He sent a quick message to Annora that he'd meet up with her in their room. She was already there by the time he arrived. She settled her drink on the table and motioned towards the large, blinking holo-communicator in the corner of their room.

"Looks like daddy wants to talk to his children," she replied as she took another swallow from her glass.

He motioned his head in the direction of the communicator. Daddy. Now he was going to have a hard time getting that analogy out of his head. "Let's see what daddy wants, shall we?" When she joined him, he used his handheld device to activate the larger one because he was too tired to bend over to do so.

"The operation is proceeding well, agent. Thanks to your intervention. Karrels Javis will once again have Nem'ro's ear. I took note of you meeting with Nem'ro's security chief, Kaliyo. You handled yourself well. Still, keep on guard – she's a little too interested in you. Though…you may be able to use that to your advantage."

"I'd rather bed a viper, Keeper," he responded dryly.

"I know you'll do what's needed for the sake of the mission, agent."

His gaze slid to Annora, whose arms were crossed over her chest with her brow arched.

"It appears Kaliyo quite enjoys threats to her life." He shrugged. "Or she thinks I'm an idiot that will fall for her _charms_." He told his partner with a barely suppressed a shudder.

"Like the Keeper said, I'm sure you'll do what you have to," she acknowledged demurely. Though, damned if she would take him back to her bed if he did sleep with that _woman_.

"Quite so," Keeper said. "We've identified her as a freelance assassin, enforcer, and anarchist. She's been attached to a dozen employers in half as many years, using several different aliases."

"Do you want her to disappear?" he asked the Keeper candidly and with a fair amount of hope.

"Not yet, agent. She's a wildcard. She may prove a liability, but she could also prove very useful. Watch her for now. Now, on to more immediate concerns: Nem'ro operates a major shvash gas mine on Hutta. The Empire wants access to Nem'ro's refined gas. Unfortunately, Fa'athra is tapping the same gas pocket as Nem'ro. We need to destroy Fa'athra's operations in the Rust Yards before Nem'ro's grinds to a halt."

"I already discussed the matter with Karrels and assured him we would handle the Fa'athra situation. Nothing a little sabotage can't handle."

Garrett nodded, trying to keep the surprise from his face. He really shouldn't be surprised by anything Neo did, the kid always seemed to be one step ahead. He admired that, though he hoped Jadus did not discover that particular skill. The sith was becoming too interested in his agent and that never boded well. "That's correct," Garrett replied with a nod. "You will travel to Fa'athra's mining facility and place explosives in the drill shaft, destroying the equipment and collapsing part of the gas pocket. You'll need to strip a couple of uniforms and credentials off the facility guards to pass the final security checkpoint. Your disguise may not hold up under close inspection, do avoid conversation."

Neo grinned and looked over at Annora before turning back to the Keeper. "You realize that the disguise may not work at all considering we're chiss. They'd probably know if they had any chiss on the payroll."

"True, but there is a high turnover rate in Fa'athra's security guards. This will work in your favor, agent."

"Of course, Keeper."

"The explosives have already been delivered to your room. Once you're finished, go back to Karrels and make sure he knows what happened. Good job on earning Karrels' friendship and trust. That is an added bonus that can be exploited if needed."

That was a job irritant. He actually liked Karrels and he did not want to put the man in danger. "Anything else?" he asked, his tone a bit cooler than he intended.

"Yes, one more thing, agent. Darth Jadus pays increasing attention to your work. He will reward success or failure appropriately, and I cannot intervene," Garrett warned.

Neo nodded. He would deal with the sith if he had to, but that was a future concern, not an immediate one – though he welcomed the heads up. "Understood. I'll report back after we've destroyed the mine and talked to Karrels."

"Quite so," Garrett said with a slight incline of his head. "Keeper out."

"At least we do not have to come up with a plan - it would appear one has been handed to us."

"True," she said, her hand finding his arm. "But that will wait for the morning…"

-BREAK THREE-

Neo swung the large bag over his shoulder and followed Annora out of their assigned apartment. He glanced up at the sun that was rising as they exited the palace and rounded to the northeastern side of the palace where their speeders were hidden in the shadows. Annora released the locking field and they headed out to the coordinates of the Rust Yards.

He motioned to her when they'd gone far enough and they located a dilapidated building that looked like it hadn't been used in years and hid their speeders behind it. Now, they needed to locate Fa'athra uniforms if they wanted any chance of passing through the yards unmolested.

They moved slowly from scrub brush, to large rock to junk pile, keeping low and moving slowly through enemy territory. When they finally located a female similar in size Annora, they quietly slipped up behind the two guards and took them out. Finding uniform for him was proving a bit more difficult. By the time they neared the entrance to the compound, they spotted a man carrying an assault cannon with only a droid at his side. Annora slipped away and hurried up to the larger man. He wasn't sure what she told him but the man and the droid followed her towards where he was hiding. When they passed him by, he took out the human while she sent an electromagnetic charge into the droid.

He grimaced as he pulled the guard's uniform off. "I don't think he's bathed in a week."

"Probably a month," she teased. "Just try not to breathe."

"For more reasons than one," he grumbled when he had to hunch his shoulders in a bit just to fasten the uniform's jacket. The boots were bloody torture. "I can't breathe, I can barely walk but I'm sure no one will notice."

"Well, it almost fits you. If it's any consolation. Besides, they will probably take more notice of our blue skin and red eyes than they will of a tight uniform." Her gaze slid down to the very obvious bulge in his pants. "Or maybe not," she teased.

"I feel so objectified. My eyes are up here, Annora," he teased, pointing to his face dramatically. "Let's try not to make things more difficult that they are for me, shall we?" Getting an erection in these pants would prove painful at best and embarrassing at worst, if he busted the fasteners. "Let's get this done."

He matched his strides with hers, which made it less likely that he would bust out the ass of his pants. They nodded at a few guards, but no one paid them much attention until they were inside the compound. A man slammed into him and stumbled backwards.

Danver's hand lifted to his aching head. Did he run into a wall? He gave his head a small shake to clear it and then looked up at the jolly blue giant. "Ain't seen you two before. New, huh?" He laughed when he noticed the ill-fitting uniform. "Damn me, looks like ya got Nevin's old uniform. Least they got all the blood out, but ya might want to let Margo know that it doesn't quite fit. I'm sure they can scrounge somethin' else for ya to wear."

"It's on backorder," Neo told him. "Have to make due for now."

Danver laughed again. "Fucks all to be you. Try not to move…or breathe. Name's Danver – be seein' ya." He nodded at the two blue aliens and darted for the front door.

"That went better than expected. Glad he was in a hurry," Neo murmured as he turned left to move deeper into the compound. "The coordinates are upstairs."

There were a few groups of guards on the lower level, apparently that was where they hung out when there was nothing else to do. While they garnered a few looks, no one approached them and the guards quickly resumed their conversations.

Once upstairs, they hooked a right across the catwalks and continued their journey until they reached a large shielded doorway. Annora was already at the console before he could even take a step towards it. She held up the identi-chip badge that was affixed to the uniform.

"Cartel representative identity confirmed. Entry authorized," the computerized voice told them. The field turned from red to green.

The room they entered into was shaped like a 'B'. they hurried through the first room and into the second and located the console they needed. "This is the console that will open the mineshaft we need," Annora replied with a grin. She sliced the console and the heavy door lifted on its hinge. "Down the hatch, Blade" she motioned to Neo.

He carefully pulled the round bomb from the padded case in his bag and threw it down into the shaft. It detonated before they could even get a few steps away, the building shuddered and the lid flew off ventilation shaft, propelled by the concussive force of the explosion. He noticed Annora had flung her hands out as if she could stop the lid with the sheer force of her will alone, but thankfully, the lid blew the opposite direction and had not been a danger to their lives.

"Gas leak detected. Activating ventilation system," the computer warned. "Lockdown in place until ventilation complete. Recalling all mining and security droids."

They heard the clanking or metal steps and hurried towards the droids, coughing and gasping for breath. "We were taking readings due to a report of instability and the damned shaft blew up in our faces!" Neo wheezed out. "We're going to find a medic – you find out what the hell happened down there or I'll make sure you're nothing but a pile of scrap metal!" He stumbled onward as the droids went to investigate the shaft.

As soon as they were out of sight, they picked up speed until they exited the shielded chamber. They slowed to a comfortable, fast-paced walk until they were back outside. The sun was nearly over head. It looked like they would get back in time to have lunch with Karrels.

They returned to their speeders and pulled their clothing out of the bag to get back into it. They stuffed the Fa'athra uniforms into the bag in case they would be needed at a later date.

The ride back to Nem'ro's palace was uneventful. They hid their speeders back in the shadowy alcove, shield locked them as a precaution and headed into the palace. They found Karrels in the cantina's back lounge where he liked to hang out to do most of his business. But this time he wasn't alone.

"You'll get the gory details after I report to Nem'ro. Figure you can wait that long?" Kaliyo asked as she dropped her hand to rest on her jaunty hip.

"Looks like I'll have to. But you don't get-" A long shadow fell across him and he looked up to see Blade and Sola.

Kaliyo's pose softened when she caught sight of Blade. "Blade," she said, pointedly ignoring the female chiss next to him. "Nice you decided to come by, but I was just telling Karrels I can't stay." Her fingertips grazed his very well-muscled bicep as she walked past him. "I know you understand."

Karrels noticed the touch and his eye darted briefly to see the stony look in Sola's gaze. Kaliyo only appealed to a certain type of man or woman and he doubted she was Blade's type. Especially when he had a very pretty Sola to come home to. "That girl's a menace. But she'd good at what she does."

"She's trying to play a player. She'll fail. I'm out of her league."

He held his belly when it shook from his laughter. "I always find myself smiling when you're around, my friend. Sola, good to see you as well," Karrels told her with a wink from his one good eye. "It would appear you two found a way to do what we'd discussed. At least, I assume the explosion in the Rust Yards had something to do with you?"

Neo's lips twitched. "I can neither confirm nor deny that accusation. Covert activity might damage my reputation as a hellraising pirate."

"Nem'ro should know what you've done for us, but I won't tarnish your reputation any more than that. With Fa'athra's mine destroyed, we can increase production. Fa'athra will want revenge, but we'll be ready." He cleared his throat. "Look, I have something for you. You'll like it – I'll send it to your room. Blade…er…how long will you be staying on Hutta? We've never really talked about that."

That was a question he did not have an answer for. "I've got some business I still need to wrap up and I don't know how long that will take. Trying to get rid of us, Karrels?" he teased.

"Just the opposite. If you're still around in a few weeks, I'd like you to meet my sons when they get back from their trading expedition. I've told them about you and they are excited to meet you. I was hoping you could tell them a few stories – so they can learn from your experience. I just – I want to keep them safe out there, you know?"

"I know. If I'm still here, we'll talk to them. We'd be glad to. Still on for tonight, Karrels?" Neo asked.

He shot a quick glance over at Sola, his lips pulling into a small smile. The ladies wanted to see a play that was being put on in the palace. Not something he would normally be caught dead doing, but Niami really wanted to see it. And he benefited when she was kept happy. "We'll meet you there at 8pm, Blade. Now get out of here before I get in trouble for gabbing my trap instead of working. You know how Nem'ro can get and how Toth'lazhen loves to tattle like a child."

"We're going," he said as he slapped Karrels on the side of his shoulder.

She saw Karrels rub the sting out of his shoulder out of the corner of her eye. Sometimes Neo forgot his own strength. But if Karrels didn't want to mention it, she wouldn't either.

Later that night, they enjoyed the expensive bottle of wine that Karrels had gifted them.

Over the next few days, they patrolled Nem'ro's land during the day and hung out with Karrels and Niami at night. It was the most routine and relaxed they'd been in some time. Though, they were both still eager to get the hell off Hutta.

"I can't wait to shower. I swear it was raining mud today," Annora grimaced as they entered their palace apartment.

"Come on, Luuti," Targen motioned with his hand for her to hurry up. "We don't have time to waste, here. I don't want to be around when Blade shows up."

"I'm going as fast as I -"

"Too late," Targen growled.

"Well, well…it would appear we have company, Sola." He lifted a brow. "Friends of yours?"

"Nope. I would have waited until I was presentable, Blade."

Targen gave a slight tug on his belt to show off the pistol that was slung from it. "Hey, there. You must be the Blade."

"If you know that, then I'm sure you also know you being here isn't a very wise idea," Neo countered. "Who are you?"

"Me and my gang are freelancers, and we're here on business," Tagen responded in a guarded voice. It was four to two, but this was the Blade. Regardless, he would not show fear.

His eyes narrowed on the human that appeared to be the leader. "Business…in our room? That, my friend, is not a very healthy business arrangement."

The gangster shrugged. "Someone wanted to know what you were up to. Luunti here was installing a listening device before you interrupted – but I guess that plan's off now."

Neo's hands flexed into fists. The man was telling him everything because he didn't intend to let him and Annora live. "You're a pretty smart man to have figured that out all by yourself. Now, why don't you tell me who you work for and I might allow you to walk away from this business deal."

"No," Tagen said with a shake of his head. "I won't cross my employer. As I see it, I know we're dead if we cross him. On the other hand, there are four of us and two of you. The odds are not in your favor, Blade, so-"

Neo pulled his backup blaster and put a hole in the man's head before he could complete his sentence. He spun his pistol and snapped it to his magbelt when the other three darted out of their room as if the hounds of hell were nipping at their heels.

"You didn't kill them all," Annora said quietly as she snapped her pistols into place.

"They saw reason," he said with a shrug. "Though, they will probably be back," he warned her.

"They won't find anything, even if they do come back."

"I know – but the Blade wouldn't have let them walk the first time," he reminded her. "We have a part to play even if we don't like it."

Their talk was interrupted when his communicator chimed. He pulled the body out of view and then sent the encrypted frequency to the large communicator in the corner. The Keeper appeared, hands behind his back, at military rest.

"I understand Nem'ro's shvash gas production is back on schedule, agent. Excellent work. Keep it up and Darth Jadus may loosen his grip on operations. However, I'm afraid…unforeseen circumstances have caused a problem."

That sounded ominous. "Any relation to the gang that broke into our room? I suspect Fa'athra or maybe Kaliyo."

The Keeper lifted a hand to rub his chin. That was a problem too. "No. That's a separate matter and one I advise you to watch closely – but it isn't what concerns me now. Three days ago, Karrels Javis' sons encountered a sith apprentice in Imperial space. A dispute broke out. One son is dead and the other was crippled. When Karrels hears that a sith slaughtered his child, his sympathy for the Empire will evaporate. We can no longer use him to get to Nem'ro. He's too close to his sons for us to cover it up and the circumstances of the encounter aren't exactly secret. We need to take care of him before he becomes a problem."

Kill Karrels? He'd done a lot of things he wasn't proud of in his career, but this was not okay. "The problem will be taken care of." Though not in the manner the Keeper intended. He hoped.

"I'm sending you an interference program to download on one of your computer spikes. Go to Karrels' suite and activate the spike to black out his security monitors. You'll be able to eliminate Karrels and his bodyguards without being seen. When Nem'ro's people investigate, they'll recognize the jamming program as Republic technology."

Of course. This was wrapped up a little too tidy. Almost as if Karrels would have been eliminated one way or the other regardless of anything happening to his sons. Blaming the Republic on Karrels' death would ensure Nem'ro would not consider working with them in any way. "So we frame the Republic for the murder of Karrels and ensure Nem'ro remains loyal to the Empire."

Again, the boy was on the ball. "Toth'lazhen is already expecting Fa'athra to seek revenge for the destruction of his mine. The spike will show that the Republic helped Fa'athra kill Karrels. Once Karrels is gone, speak to Toth'lazhen about his suspicions. As Karrel's friend, you will promise to do whatever it takes to find the assassins. We'll talk more once you've completed that part of your mission. Keeper out."

As soon as the Keeper vanished, Annora paced the room in agitation. "Tell me you do not intend to kill Karrels!"

"Of course not. Call your friend, Niami. See if she will be willing to take Karrels offworld immediately. See if she has a cloak as well. He can't be recognized. We'll plant an explosive in Karrels' suite and use the body over there," he said with a motion of his thumb. "Won't be enough left of the bones to identify it. It's the best we can do in the amount of time we have." He tossed her bag to her. "Prepare the spike and grab the explosive. I'll need you to take care of the camera – I'll carry the body."

While she did what she needed to do, he shaved the dead man's head bald and tossed a towel over his head. When he looked over at Annora, he saw her sling the bag over her shoulder. He nodded and picked up the body, drawing the dead man's arm around his shoulders. He stood still while she adjusted the towel over his face, hiding it in shadow. This was risky as hell, but it was late at night and most people would be too deep in their cups to pay attention to a man helping someone drunk off their ass home. "Is everything taken care of with Niami?"

She pulled back to study the dead man's face. Nothing but shadows. "Yes, she'd been wanting to leave Hutta for some time. She just wasn't in a hurry to leave Karrels. She's on board with this, Neo."

"Let's hope Karrels will prove just as amenable." He waited until she draped the dead man's other arm over her shoulder. If their luck held out, they wouldn't run into anyone. Karrels' suite was next to theirs. Only a long hall separated them.

They moved quickly down the hall and swung right. The security station was in the middle between their two suites. He took the dead man's full weight while Annora spiked the console.

The next part of their plan she did not like. Since he was important to Nem'ro, the slug had him guarded. There was no way she could hold up the body. She would have to kill the guards. The guards knew them well by now so there was no way to let them live. "I'll take care of Karrel's guards," she said, though she could hear the strain in her voice.

"I don't mind taking care of them," Neo told her.

"We can't risk someone seeing a dead man lying on the floor. I may not like to kill, but I know when there is no choice. I've got this."

He didn't like letting her do this alone, but he knew she was an accomplished agent and they couldn't risk contaminating the hall with the dead man's DNA. He nodded and watched her slip around the corner. He heard a few small thuds and nothing more until she returned to him and took the dead man's arm once again.

As they walked down the hall leading to Karrels' suite, he noticed she'd dragged the bodies to the sides of the hall so that they didn't risk tripping over them. She's used her knives and the kills were clean. The doors slid as they approached and they ducked inside, carried the dead man to Karrels' bed and dumped him on it.

"What the hell, Blade!" Karrels demanded as he jumped up from the reports he was going over at his desk. "Who is he and why is he on my bed? Man, this is not the time for this shit, Blade."

"I know," Neo said quietly. "He is you…and dead. Remember when I told you I have eyes and ears everywhere? Well, I found out what happened to your sons and I also discovered a contract on your life. I don't know why your family is being targeted, but you're my friend and I'll be damned if I'm going to just let you die."

"How the hell -" he rubbed the top of his bald head and then sighed. "It doesn't really matter how you found out. My sons are dead, Blade."

"I don't think so. At least I don't think both of them are. If what I heard is true, then one survived - injured but alive…and he needs you to be there for him," Neo explained as best he could.

"Hard to do that if I'm dead."

"Snap out of it, Karrels! We're not going to let you die. Well, you will be considered dead." He motioned to the dead guy on the bed.

"Are you ready?" Niami asked as she hustled into the room, her dark hair pulled up under her hat. "Nice job on the guards."

His guards were dead and he hadn't heard a sound. So the Blade was right, he could be covert when he needed to be. "Are you a part of this, Niami?"

"I am now. I'm your ride off this rock, sugar. Here," she said, tossing him a long, hooded cloak. "Put that on. We can't risk you being recognized since you're supposed to be dead."

He took the cloak and put it on. "I can't believe it's come to this. I've lost everything."

"You haven't lost me," Niami said indignantly. "You still have a son, you still have your friends," she said motioning to the Blade and Sola, "and you still have your life. We take what we can get in this old world, sugar. Now," she said, shoving a large duffle bag into his hands. "Pack up what you can and head to my shuttle. It will be at the coordinates that I'm sending to you now. I'll have the Night Hawk's coordinates programed into the nav computer." She brushed her lips against his. "See ya soon, sugar." She hugged the Blade and Sola. "We'll never forget the chance you've given us." She waved and hurried out of Karrels' suite. Sola had given her a number to one of her contacts. An SIS agent of all things. No matter. Leaving the Empire behind seemed as prudent as avoiding a bantha on wildweed.

Karrels shoved what personal items he had along with whatever clothing would fit and swung the bag over his shoulder. "This is not how I thought things would end."

"It's not an ending, Karrels," Annora told him. "It's a chance at a new beginning. Maybe you won't be living in a crimelord's palace, but you'll see more of the galaxy than you ever imagined, with a beautiful woman and your son at your side. You and your son will need to change your names – your appearances. But it's a new start, away from the Hutts and away from the Empire." She sent him the contact information for a woman that helped people disappear from the Empire. "Call my contact as soon as you can. She'll take care of you and your son."

He grabbed the cowl and pulled it down low over his head. "I don't know if I deserve a second chance but I'm going to take it anyway. I hope that I will see you two again. I won't forget what you've done for me."

"We'll meet again, Karrels. Niami doesn't need to disappear, so we'll reach out through her when we can. I'm sure we'll have much to talk about by then. Take care of yourself," Neo said as he took the older man's hand in his for a shake. He watched as Annora gave Karrels a brief hug and then nodded to her when the older man slipped out of the room. He reached into the bag and pulled the explosive out of its protective case. He carried it carefully over to the dead man settled it on his belly. He grabbed two pillows, placing next to each arm to cocoon the explosive device. "Let's go. We don't want to be seen anywhere near his room when it detonates."

They scrambled out of his room and darted down the hall and hurried into their suite. Less than a minute later, their room shook with the concussive force of the detonation. He pulled off everything but his pants and ran out of his room just as guards were running past.

Mike pulled up and held his hand out in a stop gesture to the large chiss. "Stay in your suite, Mr…er – Blade. We are investigating an explosion. It may not be safe to get any closer and we wouldn't want you to contaminate the scene."

"Of the crime? Is that what you mean? What happened? Was Karrels in there?" he asked in a tone that hinted at concern. He was a pirate after all.

"We don't know what's happened yet, sir. We just asked that you st-stay back." He cringed back when the blue mountain clenched his fists.

"Karrels is my friend! I demand to know what happened or I will take matters into my own hands!" he growled at the frightened guard.

The guard held up his hands in surrender. "We'll let you know as soon as we know, Mr. Blade. Pl – please let us do our job."

"For now…" he said coldly and returned to his room.

-BREAK FOUR-

Two days later, he received a brief report from the guard who'd spoken to him. The man did little more than hand him the report and run. Neo supposed the guard feared the Red Blade would hunt him down if he didn't pull through. He looked over the paper, but there was nothing identifying the guard that delivered it. He ran his hands all over the brief document and had Annora do the same, so if it was investigated, it would be their prints all over the document. "It's time to play Toth'lazhen a visit."

He stormed out of his room, Annora at his heel. With angry strides he moved swiftly to where the twi'lek handled his business. He frowned when he passed by where he'd often met Karrels. It was strange to see the empty table…to know that he'd never see his friend sitting there again.

The sound of voices grew louder as they drew closer to the twi'lek.

"Fa'athra murders my lieutenant? In my own house? How, Toth'lazhen? Tell me how Fa'athra does this!" Nem'ro rumbled in aggravation.

"The guards report finding many bodies, great Nem'ro, and the slicers are examining the technology involved," he assured the Hutt. "They say -"

"Do not echo the slicers to me! Find out, Toth'lazhen – I tell you to find out how…you find out how! Do not disturb me until then! I must think on this."

"Yes, great Nem'ro."

The hutt vanished from the handheld holo communicator. "Your boss is no more happy than I am, Toth'lezhen. What is the meaning of this?" he asked coldly as he waved the message he'd received around. "My friend is dead and I find out with a message affixed to my door? Why? Why didn't you tell me yourself? I didn't deserve to find out about – not in like this," he said with another wave of the note.

Toth'lezhen grabbed the waving note and read it. "I don't know who sent this to you, but it wasn't me. I only learned about what happened to Karrels and his guards a couple of hours ago. I'm still waiting for the full report. No one has seen you and Sola for a day. I thought you might have been incinerated with Karrels. I can see that didn't happen. Where have you been?"

"Busy…in bed. Sola wanted to…" he felt a hard jab to his ribs and frowned, absently rubbing his sore side. "It doesn't matter. Suffice it to say we were busy."

"Right. I don't really care to know more. I know you and Karrels were close. I know you helped him go after Fa'athra. I suspect those attacks are what got him killed. I know we weren't as close as you were with Karrels, but I respect your talents. If you wish to be a part of Nem'ro clan's response to this incident – for your own safety, and to _avenge_ your friend, I will work with you."

"I will see that his killers meet justice," Neo replied coldly.

"Good. You truly are an honorable individual." While he knew about the Red Blade's reputation, it did not usually involve sticking his own neck out. But reputations were not always what they seem. "This assault by Fa'athra is unprecedented, but we should not be surprised by his boldness; he hires more mercenaries and bounty hunters daily. Now I fear he has outside help. During the assault, our surveillance monitors were disabled using Republic protocols. If Fa'athra has brokered a deal with the Republic politicians, we will need to answer his newfound strength. I must know for certain who is helping Fa'athra. Find out what I need, Blade – speak to your contacts and _business partners_. Find Karrells' killers."

"I will. I will get back to you when I have more to go on," he assured the twi'lek before turning and walking back the way he'd come.

His hand fell to his pistol when he walked into his room and saw Kaliyo standing there. "Son of a…You weren't invited into our room."

She grinned and sauntered closer to the big, blue chiss. "So, this is where you've been hiding. Nice. Is the blood on the floor fresh or did that come with the room?"

He barely slid her a glance as he walked by her and activated the com frequency to alert Keeper of their little issue. "We've already played this game, Kaliyo. You shouldn't have come here and I'm not too sure you'll be leaving…in one piece," he warned.

"You really know how to turn a girl's head, don't you, big guy?" She shrugged. "Maybe I shouldn't have come. Maybe you'll kill me. Or maybe you'll take me to bed." She shrugged again. "But I won't be leaving without coming to an understanding. You've been all over town, racking up quite a body count. And I think _you_ are behind what happened to Karrels. You're after something bigger than Nem'ro. I'm not sure what, and I'm not sure why – but I want in on it." She took a step back when she saw his eyes narrow and held up her hands in a surrender motion. "I'm an ambitious girl and all I'm asking for is a cut. Think about what I can do for you, Blade."

Garrett flipped his holo on so he could be seen. "Allow me to respond to that."

Kaliyo spun around, surprised to see a military officer's holo. "Hmmm…what's this now?"

Garrett slipped his hands behind his back and widened his stance. "We know who you are, Kaliyo Djannis. And we are willing to offer you a deal. I am Keeper. I represent Imperial Intelligence, as does my operative," he said with a motion towards Neo. "We are aware of your activities on Rattatak, Ord Mantell and Brental Four, to name a few…as well as your…affiliations." He held up his hand to halt the words that were about to fall from her mouth. "Your skills could prove useful and we are willing to offer you a place in our ranks. You would become a very well-paid servant of the Empire."

She tilted her head and rubbed her chin as she chewed over the offer. Well-paid had a very nice ring to it. "I've heard worse propositions. What do you think, agent?"

"I think shooting you would be simpler," he grumbled.

"You're probably right, but your boss just offered me a free ride and I'm not a girl who can pass up a _well-paid_ free ride." She turned to the Keeper. "Count me in. But call me a servant of the Empire again and I'll bust your face."

Oh, for fuck's sake…just shoot me now. He shot an apologetic glace at Annora, who was staring intently at the Keeper.

"Charming," Garrett said, holding back a sigh of annoyance. "We'll discuss the details later. As for you, agent," he said to Neo. "Toth'lazhen is convinced that Fa'athra the Hutt is a major threat to business. Well done. Now we must bring Toth'lazhen proof that Fa'athra has support from the Republic. The first step is to obtain a holodisc from Fa'athra's palace. The disc contains holorecordings of all Fa'athra's dealings. The Hutt is too paranoid for his own good. You'll have to break into his archives to get it."

Kaliyo nodded. "It will mean lifting security codes off the palace overseers. Like you said – paranoid Hutt."

"Noted," Keeper responded. "Once you reach the archives, use a computer spike, downloaded with the program I'm sending you now, on the holodisc. It will be altered to show Fa'athra meeting with Republic officers. Then, bring the forgery to Toth'lazhen."

Annora frowned. That could go sideways real fast. "You realize that turning over a forgery is very risky." And they would be left holding the tampered evidence. Her gaze narrowed on Garrett. Doing this meant they were expendable.

He knew what she was thinking and she was right. She deserved better, but his hands were tied. This mission had to succeed. He didn't want to risk their lives, but he was under too much pressure from the brass...from the sith for this to succeed at all costs. He tore his gaze away from Annora and settled it on Neo. "We have decided the risk is acceptable." He pushed on, not wanting to think about the words he'd just spoke. "With Toth'lazhen convinced that his enemies are allied with the Galactic Republic, have no doubt – he will turn to us for help. We are in endgame. You will take Kaliyo on this mission under your command. She has experience on Hutta that you may find useful. Keeper out."

Things turned out better than Kaliyo had hoped. She was alive, that was always good. She was going to be paid well and she was going to be able to leave this miserable hell hole. Not that she hadn't had her moment of fun here, but it was time to move on to greener and wealthier pastures. "Last time I went to Fa'athra's palace, I had so many adrenals in my system I was coming down for a week. This should be entertaining."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do not think of coming with us if you're high."

"Geesh…I won't. So, what is it with you two…you're not really the Red Blade, are you? And I'm guessing you aren't Sola either."

"What gave it away? The fact that I'm an agent?" he grouched.

"Neo! She's here…she's coming with us…let it go," Annora told him.

"Yeah – what she said," she jerked a thumb at the female chiss.

Having Kaliyo here was wrong. Having her know anythjing about him or the Imperial Intelligence waved red flags through every instinct he had. But it was done. While his name was actually Sabosen'ero'Nuruodo, he had no intention of giving her is full name. He didn't trust her further than he could look at her. "I'm Neronu," he informed her in a tight voice. "but most people just call me Neo. It's easier to say, I've been told. Annora is my partner."

"Does she go by Ann?" Kaliyo quipped.

"No," Annora responded quickly. "You don't know me well enough to call me Ann."

"Touchy," Kaliyo mumbled. "If she's your partner, why didn't your Keeper say she was an agent?"

"Because I'm not an agent of the Empire. I'm an engineer. I slice," she grinned, "and dice…" Not that she was thinking about dicing Kaliyo…or at least she wouldn't admit to having such a thought. "Neo and I have been friends for years and like you, the Empire pays me for my talents." She did not tell the rattataki that she was also a talented lie detector. She would find out soon enough.

"So, I suppose that means that you two aren't really lovers?" Kaliyo inquired, with her finger motioning back and forth between them.

"Not that it is any of your business, but since you will be coming with us…yes, we are lovers for now," she informed the nosy woman.

"Fuck buddies…I can stand behind that. So…are others invited into your bed? I could show you a few things I've learned…"

"Kaliyo," he said, his patience slipping. "We are friends and while we are lovers too, we are monogamous. No one else – just us."

"Boring…" she said with a sigh.

"Done," Annora said as she slipped the computer spike into a pouch on her belt and faced Kaliyo. "Are you going to rent your own speeder or are you riding with me?"

"You're hot enough, but I'd rather ride with the big guy." She enjoyed needling the two of them. Maybe because they liked to think they were so calm and composed or maybe she just needed to get laid and was taking it out on the couple. The why of it didn't matter when it was fun.

"Not going to happen," Annora replied in a cool and detached tone.

"Fine, if you are going to be prude about it, then why don't you ride with the big guy?

"In case you haven't noticed, Kaliyo, I'm a little…big," Neo pointed out with air of irritation.

Her gaze shamelessly dropped down to the junction of his thighs. "So, I've noticed. Why do you think I've been trying to get you in bed…or up against a wall…on a table…I'm an adventurous girl."

"He barely fits on the seat, Kaliyo. Riding with him is a last resort. It's me or get your own speeder," Annora all but growled in frustration. How had the irritating woman survived up until now?

"Well, considering I have yet to see this _well-paid _part of the deal, it's you and me." She turned and headed towards the door. "I'll try to keep my hands from wandering."

Annora closed her eyes and counted to ten before she followed Trouble out the door. "I think Trouble is a more apt name for that…woman." She stilled right outside the door. "Damn it…what about the Fa'athra guard uniforms?"

"Agreed, about Kaliyo" he murmured back. "But I'm not sure if the uniforms will help much at the palace. If he were intelligent, he'd surround himself with only guards he trusted."

"You are banking on the fact that he's intelligent. I say we wear them. They might give us a moment of hesitation that we can exploit," she pointed out.

"I was hoping not to have to squeeze back into that," he grumbled. "But you are right. Let's get dressed."

They pulled out their duffle bags and hurried to get into the uniforms before Kaliyo returned. That, they supposed was too much to ask for.

"You could have invited me," Kaliyo replied after taking in the half-dressed status of the chiss. "Even your muscles have muscles, big guy…A big, blue mountain built for climbing." She looked over at the woman. "And curves worth exploring. Nice. I don't have to join to enjoy the ride. I don't mind watching."

"Funny," Annora grimaced. "Security might be tighter," she said as she fastened up her top, "but if these uniforms can buy us a moment then it will be worth it."

Despite the rattataki's words, Kaliyo's hand didn't wander. Annora wasn't sure what she'd have done if they had. But visions of slicing them off had flitted through her mind.

They zipped past the evocii work camp and hung a right at a small Rust Yard settlement, moving in a southeastern direction towards Fa'athra's palace. While they had schematics for the palace, Kaliyo had actually been there and that was far more reliable than schematics.

They hid their speeders outside the palace grounds and took out the first guards they saw. They hid the bodies, gave Kaliyo a uniform and grabbed the three access cards they would need to enter the palace.

"I look ridiculous," Kaliyo muttered, the uniform larger and looser than she would have liked.

"No," Neo bit out. "I look ridiculous."

Kaliyo grinned. "You kinda do. I'm also hoping to watch you burst out of that thing. That would be entertaining…and enjoyable."

Neo rolled his eyes and they proceeded on foot. Not all the guards wore hats, but they all needed to, their faces stood out too much. With the hat bills pulled down low, few guards even looked their way. They strolled confidently through the palace doors as if they belonged there. Attitude played a big role in believability.

Kaliyo led them down a hall on the left of the reception room and then hooked another left before hopping the lift on the right. "This way," she motioned then onto the lift. "it's on level 2."

The security on level two was tighter, but their uniforms gave them the hesitation they needed to take down the first set of guards they came to. Annora shot a menacing glare at Kaliyo. "Your rifle doesn't even have a silencer?"

"What can I say? I like to make an entrance," Kaliyo quipped.

With a frown of irritation, she yanked open her a pouch hanging from her belt and withdrew her back-up silencer. She liked to keep one on hand in case one of hers started to go. She tossed it to the rattataki. "Use it- we've got company coming. Hopefully, not the whole damned floor."

"Is she always so bossy?" Kaliyo asked Neo with a smirk as she screwed on the silencer.

"Are you always so annoying?" he hissed back and raised his blaster to greet the guards that ran around the corner.

"Face it, big guy – I'm growing on you."

"Like mold, maybe…" he murmured under his breath.

"Follow me!" Kaliyo said as she jogged past the bodies, stepping on the last as she rounded the corner. "In here!"

They entered the room, weapons ready and took down the two guards before they could sound the alarm. "That's the console we need," Kaliyo told them, pointing to the large computer in the attached room.

"Annora, let's see what you can do with that spike." He followed her into the room, one eye on the door. After a couple of minutes, three guards walked in. "Company," he warned, his hand near his pistol.

Nohn looked at the three guards in the room, he was about to leave when a familiar face drew his attention. Not guards. Intruders. "So, Nem'ro's little servants are here to raid the archives. A pity. If you'd raided the armory instead, you might have survived."

"Does anything about him look _little_ to you, Nohn?" Kaliyo quipped. "What brings you down here? Fa'athra finally order you to check out the shooting?"

"You misunderstand. While lowly thugs sapped your strength, I waited with these men – Fa'athra's elite." His gaze skittered uncertainly towards the blue giant and then back at a more familiar face. "Now, you are too weak to fight us."

Kaliyo folded her arms across her chest and cocked a hip. "I like that about you, Nohn. You only bet on a sure thing." How could shooting a blaster tire her out? Give her a sore trigger finger? It's not like she wielded the force. He always had been an idiot.

Neo laughed at the absurdity of his statement. "A sure thing…of all the…Even if my blaster was too _tired_ to put up a fight, I don't need my blaster to squash you like a bug under my foot."

Nohn finally looked up at the blue giant and had to force his feet not to take a step back. "Master Blade, I presume?"

"You're smarter than you look, Nohn." Kaliyo looked up at Neo. "Nohn wanted me for himself when I got to Hutta. He couldn't afford me."

"Unfortunately, she refused to join Fa'athra – so now all three of you must die. I will make certain your heads are sent back to your homeworlds."

Annora released an impatient breath. "I thought you said he was smarter than he looked?" she shot at Kaliyo.

Kaliyo shrugged. "He was, for a moment, but then I blinked and saw the truth."

"Let me get this straight, little man. I've passed through dangerous swamps, fought through Fa'athra's army of thugs, invaded your palace and you think you are going to kill the Red Blade?" He took a threatening step towards small alien.

Nohn blinked as his brain ran through various outcomes, most of which ended in his death. "Perhaps I was a bit hasty in my choice of words. Perhaps I should have waited longer before striking. You do not appear to be weakened as much as I'd hoped." In fact, he did not appear weakened at all. "I…propose a deal. I will turn my back on this scene and depart the archives, and you will not shoot me on your way out. I will mention none of this to Fa'athra."

Kaliyo settled a hand on her hip. "Hmmm…considering who you are facing and his rather bloodthirsty reputation, it seems you're getting off light. And there was that game of pazaak we never finished…"

It would appear he needed to up the ante to walk out of this situation alive. "Ah, yes. I would…also be willing to transfer a sum of credits to your accounts. Old debts paid…and a symbol of my gratitude."

"Go while you can, little man. But you best do as you say…or I _will_ find you," Neo warned.

When the guards left, Annora returned to the console. She knew what the Keeper wanted and for the most part, she would give him that. But she wasn't okay with wholesale slaughter. And if all of Fa'athra's contacts were on this disc, not for a moment did she think Nem'ro would let that go. The slimy Hutt would have a contract on each and every head. She tapped a hidden implant at her hairline near her temple and a holovisor slid out to cover one eye. She made a quick backup copy before she downloaded the program via the spike and quickly ran through the data's footage. Once she saw enough to implicate the republic, she flipped on her micro-terminal and ran a distortion program. It was a program she'd created. No one had access to it. Static followed by partial smeared and ripped images; the quality grew worse until nothing intelligible was left to see.

The rattatki leaned against the console. "Better hope your boss knows how to make a convincing forgery….of course, there's going to be a bloodbath once Nem'ro and Toth'lazhen see what's on the disc. If that disc really names all of Fa'athra's business partners, it probably identifies half the people in Jigunna alone. Merchants, gangsters, debtors," she said with a roll of her hand. "All the usual scum. When Nem'ro gets a hold of it, he'll want revenge on anyone who dared to work with Fa'athra. There will be bodies clogging up the gutters for weeks," she told the agent, studying his facial expressions. Impressive. The man gave nothing away.

"I'm surprised you care what Nem'ro does," he responded evenly.

"I don't. But I thought you might." The Red Blade certainly wouldn't have cared. But Neo wasn't the Blade, he was an intelligence operative. But she didn't know enough about agents to know if their morality was any better or worse than a ruthless pirate.

When the distorted download completed, she scrubbed the console of all data it had once contained. She withdrew the spike and dropped it back into a pouch on her belt. "That is not something we will need to worry about. We have enough viable data to show collaboration with the Republic, the rest is…a garbled mess." Neither of them needed to know she'd kept a backup copy; she would send it as well as details of what they were doing with Nem'ro to Lorianna Onasi. The SIS agent could decide what she wanted to do with that data. "Here," she said as she handed the disc over to Neo.

He nodded, and slipped it in a pouch on his belt. "I will imagine it will be easier to leave than it is to enter the palace. People don't tend to pay attention to someone leaving."

"That I learned a long time ago, big-guy. This is getting better and better. We're conning Intelligence and conning Nem'ro. Let's see how far we can ride this scam."

-BREAK FIVE-

They returned to the palace and he settled the flat of his hand at the base of Annora's spine. "Showtime, girls, we have a con to run and a Hutt to fleece."

Since Kaliyo was Nem'ro's enforcer, she stepped forward to announce the Red Blade when they reached the twi'lek. "The Red Blade claims to have something to show you."

Toth'lezhen slashed a hand at her in a dismissive and irritated gesture. "I do not have times for your games, rattataki. Leave us to our business." He looked up to meet the chiss' unnerving red eyes when the irritating rattataki backed off. Not that he would ever let the chiss know his eyes were unnerving. "What did you find? Did you learn the identity of Fa'athra's supporters?"

He pulled the disc from his pouch and handed it to the twi'lek. "I stole these recordings from Fa'athra's palace. I suspect they will tell you what you need to know." Or at least what the Empire needed them to know.

Toth'lezhen scanned through a few of the files. "These – these are Fa'athra's archives! All his bargains…his contracts are on this disc. A pity about the damage – but some of these recordings still function…" He pulled out his communicator and called the Hutt. "Mighty, Nem'ro! I have news Fa'athra's attack on the palace!"

"I saw, foolish Togh'lazhen," Nem'ro rumbled. "I know what happens in my palace, even when my mind is occupied. So! Fa'athra is allied with the Republic and has employed Republic men to fight my clan. If Fa'athra alliances then we will make alliance and grow stronger!"

Toth'lazhen looked back up at the giant. "In return for your assistance, Blade, generous payment will be transferred to your account."

Nemro wiggled his mass around to better see the pirate. "Yes, you have done well by my house. You will be rewarded."

"Now, be on your way," Toth'lazhen told the pirate. "Nem'ro and I have much to discuss."

"Much to discuss," Nem'ro agreed. "And revenge to plot."

Neo returned his hand to Annora's back. "Come, Sola. We are done here."

In the week that followed, they enjoyed Nem'ro's hospitality while they waited to hear back from Keeper. They had to wait out the negotiations between the Hutt and the Empire. His mission was not complete until the alliance was cemented. During that week, they saw Kaliyo only in passing, which was fine with them. A little of Kaliyo went a long way. They were both eager to be on their way and with luck, leave Kaliyo behind on Hutta.

Not long after a satisfying lunch, their door chimed. Annora looked at the holofeed. "It's Kaliyo."

He motioned with his hand for her to proceed. "You might as well let her in, I'm sure she'll find a way to make our lives miserable if we don't."

"I was sent a message telling me to go to your room – not that I wasn't in the middle of something."

His communicator chimed. "I doubt that is a coincidence. He beamed the frequency to the large holo-display in the corner of his room. Keeper appeared on the screen.

"Nem'ro has already reached out to several Imperial embassies, seeking relations. He'll be eating out of our hands within the month. In the short term, our chemical and stimulant stockpiles will nearly double. In the long term, we're a step closer to bringing all of Hutta under Imperial control. I'll make a full report to Darth Jadus shortly. I expect he will be very pleased with our work. Your mission is now complete. Take your shuttle to Dromund Kaas. Once you've arrived on planet, report to Imperial Intelligence headquarters in the Citadel. I'll debrief you there."

"Acknowledged, Keeper."

"Kaliyo – you will also report to Dromund Kaas. I assume Nem'ro won't be surprised by your sudden disappearance?"

"Oh, he'll be hurt – but no one'll be surprised that I left with the Blade."

"Right," Garrett responded. "He's certainly not the first employer you've walked out on."

"Well, then…at least we will not be surprised…" Neo grumbled.

"Quite so," Garrett cut him off. "In any case, I expect to see you both soon. Keeper out."

"Well, this is it. Pack up, Kaliyo. We'll meet you at the shuttle."

Her gaze slid from Neo to Annora and back to Neo. "Don't keep me waiting."

With their bags packed, they dropped their speeders off at the rental lot and hoofed it to the spaceport. "Would it be too much to hope that we don't have to return here?" Neo asked Annora with a half-grin on his face.

"Probably, I -"

His communicator chimed, interrupting whatever she was going to say. He removed it from his belt and flipped it on. They were both surprised to see Jheeg's holo.

"This is Jheeg – I made you into Red Blade, yes? Very little time to talk, very bad news."

He glanced at Annora, who shrugged. Perhaps the arcona was over exaggerating. "What is bad?"

"Blade – the real Blade – is here. Very unexpected, very sudden. Just requested to land at spaceport. Kill Blade quickly in shuttle bay, no one knows."

"Good to know," he told the arcona.

"Yes. I have warned you. Done my part. Good luck. Goodbye. Tell your handler that Jheeg serves well."

The hollow shut down and he reattached it to his belt. "Well, looks like we have one more loose end to tie up, before Nem'ro learns the truth," he said when Jheeg sent him the shuttle bay the Blade was landing at.

Neo wasn't really surprised to find out the Red Blade was as large as he was. The pirate wore heavy grey and red armor with a massive, tusked helmet in place.

"You're the one who killed my men – the pretender who wants to be the Blade. At least you aren't a total embarrassment. You're bigger than I thought you'd be. But showing your face? The Blade never shows his face," the Blade informed him.

What was he even talking about? "What men? I've killed a lot of men."

"I sent some thugs to raid your room. Since I never heard back, I assume you dealt with them. They wouldn't have the balls to betray me._ I'm_ the Red Blade – you worm – the_ real_ Red Blade. And you've got one chance to explain yourself before I burn a hole through your head."

Neo pursed his lips and nodded. "Well, that changes things. I heard the Red Blade was dead. I only wanted to carry on your legacy," Neo told him." If he could get the man to get right back on the shuttle and leave, maybe he wouldn't have to kill him. Annora would certainly appreciate that.

The Blade studied the chiss for a moment. There was something earnest in his face. Either he was a hell of a liar or he was serious. And if he was trying to honor the legacy of the Blade, that touched him. It changed nothing, but it touched him. "You know? I can actually believe that. I'll tell you what, kid…take this weapon," he said as he handed the kid a rifle. "It's yours. I still have to kill you – I'm not ready to retire. If you'd waited a few years to pull this shit…but you didn't. At least you get the chance to die as one of the Blades."

Neo took the rifle handed to him and snapped it to his back next to his sniper. What had he meant by one of the Blades? Was there some king of Blade gang? "For both our sakes, get back in the shuttle and let us both forget about this. Neither one of us has to die over a mistake."

"Sorry, kid. It's nothing personal. There can be only one and I'm not ready to retire. Since you've shown your face, I have to set the record straight and expose you as a fraud. The Blade never shows his face. I'll try to make this painless – but no promises." He took a few steps back from the chiss, his hand hovering over his weapon.

Neo waved Annora off. This was his fight. He considered using the gun the Blade gave him, but he wasn't even sure it worked. A dual was not the place to test the truth of it. He quickly scanned the armor, noting a glaring week spot – if he could get the Blade to look up even the smallest bit. The front of the helmet, below the jawbone, the neck area was made of bendable material. He fisted one hand and drew it up and made a high throwing motion. The Blade took his eyes of him for just a moment to look up instinctively and he whipped his blaster off his mag belt and fired.

The Blade took a stumbling step backwards, his hand rose to his neck and he wavered a moment before toppling over like large tree, the clank of armor hitting the bay's floor was nearly deafening. The battle was over before it started. But it had to be. They couldn't risk a shootout that would draw attention.

"Help me remove his armor. If this armor is known, and I suspect that it is, then if they don't find me dead in that armor, they will know something is up."

She had hoped he wouldn't figure that out. That would have been one way she could helped the Republic, by having Nem'ro second guess what happened. But it was out of her hands now. "Let's make this quick."

They worked efficiently to remove the armor. "He was a zabrak," Neo murmured. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but species didn't matter - he was just thankful the man was of a similar size. "Look for cameras – take care of them, while I become the Red Blade." He did not want to keep this persona up, though he would have preferred to have kept the armor in the event he was ever assigned to be the Blade again. But it was large and bulky and certainly would not fit in their bags. Shipping it would work. "I need to go to the packaging center in the spaceport to ship out this armor."

What he really wanted to do was stuff Kaliyo in a box and ship her out of his life. But that was just wishful thinking. Whether he liked it or not, she would be staying until Keeper said otherwise. So, he would put on his best game face and pretend that he was stating to like her. If anything, it would keep the peace. And he had a very good game face. Only Annora had ever been able to read it.

With Neo back in plainclothes and the package on its way to an anonymous postal locker they boarded the shuttle, content to be away from Hutta.

The shuttle met up with The Harbinger and from there, they traveled to Dromund Kaas in comfortably moderate style. While the ship was of decent size, he was still aggravated that he could not steer clear of Kaliyo. The rattataki was everywhere they went. On purpose? That he didn't know. But for now, he had to play nice because the Keeper wanted him to work with the woman. Playing nice required him to "act" almost all the time. It was Annora that kept him grounded when his nerves started to fray. She always knew when it was time to spend a bit of 'girl' time with Kaliyo. And he greatly appreciated her gesture.

Finally, and in no time too soon, The Harbinger docked at the Dromund Kaas Spaceport. They rented a taxi to get to the Intelligence Headquarters in Kaas City. It rained a lot on Dromund Kaas and the weather did not disappoint. Well, it did…the sun would have been welcomed, but it was weather as usual here. Lucky them. Thankfully, parking was covered at the headquarters, so they did not have to arrive looking like drenched swamp rats.

-BREAK SIX-

Sith Intelligence on Dromund Kaas was impeccable as every other Intelligence office. Agents in disfavor would often find themselves on clean up detail. That is not a place he ever wanted to be. He glanced over at Annora when he saw a man, obviously sith, talking with Keeper. Darth Jadus, he presumed. This was going to be fun. While he did his job well, he was not a very good "yes-man". He fulfilled his mission _his_ way, not necessarily as he was instructed to do. He released a slow breath and slid on the dutiful agent mask. He had to look at it as just another "acting" assignment.

Men in masks…over-compensation for what is lacking? Or hiding so no one is aware of his true identity. He could not begin to fathom a sith's mind. That was just as well. All they seemed to care about is drama and stabbing each other in the back. The Empire and Republic would be better off if the jedi and sith killed each other off instead of trying to control everyone else.

"This is not _your _domain, Keeper. It is mine. It has always been mine," Darth Jadus grumbled to Keeper.

"Of course, my lord," Garrett replied with the barest nod of his head. He had hoped to have Jadus gone before Neo arrived, but luck had not been in his favor when he received the brief alert of his agent's arrival. Neo was too good of an agent to be wasted on sith politics. His lips firmed as he tried his best to will the sith to go.

Jadus slowly rose his arms up an outward to encompass everything around him. "All you have here, all you hope to control – it falls apart as easily as a human life. An hour ago, the Minister of Intelligence dropped to his knees and wept before me. You would do so too, if not for fear of being humiliated."

Neo blinked twice and forced his eyes not to roll. Sith posturing left a lot to be desired. He heard a slight cough from Kaliyo's scoff. He shot her a brief, hard look. The actions of one could affect them all when it came to a moody sith.

Garrett slipped his hands behind his back. "Your dissatisfaction is clear, my lord. It will be remedied. Now…I am asking you, humbly, to leave. So that I may resume my duties."

Jadus held up a hand and waved it negligibly. "I will leave my domain at the moment of my choosing, Keeper." Only then did he give his attention over to the three arrivals he'd sensed. His gaze settled on the larger sith. "You, agent. You were the one sent to Hutta. Is that correct?"

"It is," Neo responded, clipped and formal.

Jadus flourished a hand to his chest. "I am Darth Jadus. You served me well in your dealings with Nem'ro. You will serve me well again."

Acting…acting…acting….he reminded himself. "What did you have in mind, my lord?" Sith did not have the nobility required to be a noble lord. Calling some uncouth bully 'lord' rankled him.

Yes, he will do nicely. "All will become clear in time, agent." Jadus turned his attention back to Keeper. "Keeper -you will use this one," he pointed in the large chiss' direction. "He will complete the assignment as I have instructed."

This simply wouldn't do. Garrett straightened his slim shoulders. "He's quite capable, my lord, but he lacks experience. A more seasoned agent -"

Even better. Skilled, but still naive. "I have _made_ my decision." Jadus told the Keeper in no uncertain terms. No mundane little human knew more than he did. That was preposterous. "I wish the situation resolved before I leave Dromund Kaas. See to it that my will is done."

Garret gave a brief incline of his head. "Very well. I'll make arrangements." He frowned as he watched the sith walk away. That could have gone better. "Neo," he said as he swung his head around to look up at the chiss. "Congratulations. You've made a friend on the Dark Council. I don't envy you."

"Nor do I," he mumbled, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

One corner of Garrett's lips twitched. "I imagine not. But there's nothing to be done about it now. Even hearing you were a novice agent did now sway him."

"Novice…" He was hardly a novice agent, but he appreciated what the Keeper had tried to do. "Thank you for…"

"Yes, well…" he cut the chiss off. "It did not work as intended." Garrett cleared his throat. "I want you outfitted and ready to leave as soon as possible. Grab any equipment you need from the lockers and meet me in my office. Once we are through with your debriefing, we will discuss your next mission." His gaze moved to the rattataki. "Kaliyo? Wait outside, please. One of the Watchers will handle your debriefing."

He inclined his head to the Keeper and abruptly turned towards where the lockers should be, not catching Kaliyo's response to the Keeper and not caring. His lips twitched when he saw the lockers where he expected them to be. Having almost every Intelligence building designed the same did scream efficiency. He spotted his number on one of the lockers and a brief retinal scan popped open the door. There were several vials of slv-16 serum within. Interesting. He slipped the vials into a discreet pouch on his belt. "Come," he said to Annora, quickly pulling his arm back when he held it out to her. He stiffened at his slip. "Let's see what our next mission will be."

Annora was pleased he remembered himself. There public relationship, when not on assignment, was as associates, perhaps friends, but nothing more. Nor could they ever show how close they were, that would allow for manipulation, even within Intelligence. "Hope it's better than Hutta."

"Could it get worse?" he quipped as he turned a corner.

She grunted softly and shot a sidelong glance at him, her eyebrow cocked. "Wish I could forget that mined out asteroid as easily as you."

His footsteps stuttered before he caught himself. He'd forgotten all about DR-47. He and Annora had joked that the DR stood for Dead Rock. They'd dropped into an underworld hell. Faulty shielding allowed temps to fall to deadly levels in areas, along with pockets of no recycled, artificial atmosphere. All to find one contact - that had already died in said hell before they even arrived. "I stand corrected. Nothing is worse than Dead Rock."

"Dead Rock?" Garrett asked as he turned to face the duo that entered his office.

"DR-47," he told the Keeper.

Kaliyo cackled. "Can't believe you ever landed on that dump! I've been to some pretty seedy places, but I have never been to that asteroid. Lost a buddy on DR….Dead Rock…." She nodded, her smile growing. "Can't wait to spread the new name."

When the door to his office slid shut, Keeper nodded. "So, I've been reviewing the report of your activities on Hutta. You were busier than I'd expected. You were extremely effective in your mission. However, you went out of your way to avoid violence. You were not sent to Hutta for missions of mercy."

"Nor was I sent there for a massacre, Keeper. I played to my strengths: distraction, manipulation, stealth and successfully executed my mission without blowing my cover. Why do you have issue with how I perform my duty now?" Neo inquired, slipping his hands behind his back.

Garrett absently rubbed his chin. "I do not, Neo. You have not disappointed me thus far and I do not expect you to. You are one of the finest agents I've seen. It was Darth Jadus that felt you were soft on Hutta. Then again," he murmured, "it did not stop him from seeking you out." He gave a slight wave of his hand before Neo could say more. "As to your next assignment: One of the mandates of our organization is to eliminate dissidents and terrorists within the Empire. We've located one cell of radicals here in the capital, working towards the violent overthrow of our government. We must know precisely what the terrorists plan."

"Have we found anything more out about them? Their goals?" Neo inquired.

"Very little," Gerrett said with a shake of his head. "They're unsatisfied with Imperial policies, but they're not anarchists or Republic stooges – at least so far as we know. We've intercepted chatter suggesting the radicals are planning a major attack soon, but we've only identified a handful of cell members. You will investigate the cell and obtain its plans."

"With all due respect, Keeper. I'm Chiss." He waved his hand between himself and Annora. "We are chiss. Wouldn't a human be better off on this assignment?"

"You are the best agent we have, Neo. Besides, the Ascendancy might work with us, but their politics differ from our own. You will likely be met with less suspicion than you believe. Regardless, you two will not be alone for this mission. You will have two other operatives assisting you and full support from the Citadel."

"Who will we be working with?" He asked.

Garrett depressed the intercom on his desk. "Watcher Two? Please come to my office and bring Kaliyo Djannis with you.

"Watcher Two, huh?" Kaliyo snorted as they entered the office. "That's a pretty name, is it twi'lek?"

Shara stiffened her spine. "It's basic," she asked, barely able to glance at the alien. "Unlike many civilizations, the Empire teaches its children how to count." She looked up at the Keeper. "Watcher Two reporting, sir."

Garrett inclined his head to her. "Kaliyo will be your aide in the field. She'll report to you and take your orders…since you seem able to handle her."

Kaliyo smirked. "I'm making you look good, Neo. You should be grateful."

Garrett stepped in before Kaliyo could say anything further. "Watcher Two will be your liaison to base. She'll stay in contact remotely and provide you will mission details."

Shara looked up at the very tall chiss. He was rather attractive…for an alien. "I've heard a lot about your species. Your unique skills should complement the team well."

His gaze briefly darted to Annora who seemed just as perplexed as he did. "Er…thank you."

"Watcher Two is one of our finest analysts," Garrett assured Neo. "She is a success from the government eugenics programs. Her brain is faster than most computers."

That was interesting, though he wasn't sure if Watcher Two was going to prove more beneficial than problematic. He and Annora had their own ways of doing things. Now, more than ever, they would have to ensure their transmissions to each other remain private.

"Thank you, Keeper," Watcher Two replied with a brief nod of her head. "Our primary lead on the radicals is at the site of the slave rebellion beyond Kaas City. You've been outfitted with the necessary equipment already; once you're in the field, signal me via holocommunicator and I'll brief you in full."

His arms fell from behind his back to his side. "We'll head out immediately."

"Remember, you're not undercover," Garrett told him. "Identify yourself as an Intelligence officer if you need to – use the fear that it creates. You're on Imperial soil now, Neo. Welcome home."

Indeed. It had been awhile since he could just be himself. At times, it was hard to hard to remember who he really was. There wasn't often a lot of down time between missions. Even in ships between missions they were "practicing" their upcoming identities. This could prove interesting.

They hopped speeders to the nearest navpoint and found a secluded spot behind a makeshift tent. He stepped behind the tent and signaled Watcher Two that he was ready to receive her holo. A moment later, his holo chimed.

"Watcher Two here. I'm receiving your signal. Mapping your location now. Glad you mad it through the jungle safely, agent. Ready to work?"

The jungle. All manner of beasts on two legs and four. They'd gone offroad a couple of times to go around animals none of them wanted to tangle with. There was no need to kill innocent animals, if it could be avoided. "Of course, but you may call me Neo," he told her.

"I must decline. I do not allow myself get close to agents. They are prone to…die." She cleared her throat, her lips tightening.

Wonderful, that. "That's a cheery thought. But we can talk more about that later. I'm awaiting the details."

"You may have noticed the chaos out there. There's a slave rebellion going on, and you're heading into the middle of it. Our analyst charged with monitoring the rebellion is with me. His name is Lodenth Kashar – he can fill you in on the details."

He was surprised to see a Duros face he recognized.

"it is pleasing to see you again," Lodenth told the chiss, his pursed lips not quite able to pull off a smile. "I will do my best to meet expectations; I have been observing the revolting slaves and believe my knowledge may be useful. This rebellion began several months ago. The slaves- many of them aliens – were being used for construction, but they began fighting for freedom. They are now organized and armed. Their camp is entrenched around the construction site. So far, they have held up under siege."

Shara cut the duros' com. "Imperial Intelligence is leaving concerns about the rebellion itself to the military. You're here for a specific slave -an alien named Jurithus."

"I will extract him, what's his story?" Neo inquired.

"Jurithus was once owned by an anti-government radical who used slaves to carry messages to like-minded dissidents."

Lodenth caught the nod from Watcher Two and the connection turned to him. "My analysis suggests Jurithus kept copies of those messages encoded in his native language. You will need to interrogate the slave leaders to find him."

Why hadn't they gotten what the needed from the master already? "Haven't we questioned the slave's former master?"

"He's gone," Shara responded. "Dead at the hands of an overenthusiastic agent. That's why Minder 4 is no longer with us."

"You were supplied at base with a medical kit," Lodenth explained. "And a syringe along with vials of SLV-16 serum. You mus incapacitate a slave leader. Inject him with the serum. He will awaken in a suggestible state and he will tell you where Jurithus is."

In the past, he never really thought about slaves. It is said they were better off as slaves, then to be without food in their bellies and roofs over their heads. But he wasn't sure that he would prefer to be a slave than poor and destitute. However, he'd never been in dire straits. So how could he know what he would truly feel? He was torn. A part of him wanted the slaves to return home, where they'd be taken care of and another part of him hoped they found their freedom to live and die as they wanted. "One way or the other, he will talk."

"I will keep the channel open," Lodenth replied. "As soon you obtain Jurithus' messages, I will download them and begin translating."

"Another reason why it's useful to have aliens on staff," Shara responded, her lips almost stretching into a small smile. "In any case, good luck."

The human could not be any more prejudiced if she tried. He pursed his blue lips. "Thank you, Watcher Two. I'm glad you find us aliens useful to have around."

Her lips rounded as a soft "Oh.." slipped through them. She blinked twice. "Of course…I didn't mean to offend." She never really thought about what she said before. No one had called her out on her choice of words before. No matter, handsome or not…good agent or not…he was still an alien and she had best remember that. "You should find your targets inside the camp. This is the only way we can learn what the radicals are planning. Time's running out, agent." She cut the feed and drummed her fingers on her desk.

"Well, ladies," he said dryly. "We _aliens_ have a job to do."

Kaliyo shook her head. This rebellion could have had such potential. "There's what, a couple thousand slaves here? If they had any brass, they wouldn't have waited until the statue was half-built to start shooting. They deserve what they get."

Annora frowned at Kaliyo's utter lack of sympathy and narrowmindedness. "Kaliyo – we cannot know their situation or how long it took them to gather the man power and weapons they needed. Attacking before they were prepared would have been suicide."

"Whatever…" Kaliyo grumbled under her breath. Miss goody two-shoes seemed to like tossing her unwanted opinion about. Talk about a real stick in the mud. Sometimes it was better to just let the woman flap her lips until she was blue in the face. Ha! Maybe that's why she was blue. She snorted back a laugh. At least Neo's stick wasn't dug quite so deep. And she sure as hell wouldn't mind wrapping her legs around that blue mountain. The man was hung like a bantha. Yum…

From the Imperial post, they crossed a bridge. Dead bodies strewed down its length. Many of them appeared to be slaves. Despite his glaring dress whites, very few slaves stepped out in their path. He wasn't sure if they were afraid or if the path they'd chosen was not well-guarded.

Once they'd reached the compound the slaves had taken over, there was greater resistance. Some chose to fight, some ducked away - probably to fight another day…or perhaps set a trap. With their sound-filtered weapons, they made very little noise as they cut a path through to the compound. They stopped long enough to draw bodies into the shade as they continued onward. No need to announce their presence. It wasn't their mission to take down the slave revolt – he wasn't sure that was a mission he would even want.

With a nod to the two women he pulled out a flasher. When they grabbed their grenades as well, all three lobbed them into the main room to knock out visibility for most of the slaves. The flash-bang grenade would give them a few seconds to grab the slave leader. Thanks to the insignia on the slave's uniform, it gave his status away. Honorable…but not smart.

He darted into the room and pressed the injector gun against the blinded man's neck while Annora saw to the locking of the door. Getting out might be more interesting.

Johnson grabbed his head as his world spun memoires like a kaleidoscope. "I'm running…chest hurts…something's on my head." Memories spiraled. "Rain's coming down. Everything's sinking into the ground…" His feet stumbled, trying to maintain balance.

Kaliyo laughed softly. "Stuff's potent. Haven't seen anyone zoned out like that since Nar Shaddaa."

His body tremored, but he was so turned around that he didn't know how to find the floor to sit down. 'I thin – I think I know you. But I…I don't remember anything. I don't …I don't know what you want, everything hurts. Everything's spinning. Upside down…inside-out." He shook his head in his tightly gripping hands. "I don't know what to do with my head. Please tell me."

"Help me find Jurithus and I will do what I can to help you," Neo told him.

"Jurithus? Gone. Days gone. It all goes so slowly. Jurithus burns and starts to look like our colossus. Incomplete…" He shook his head, but couldn't clear it. "He died fighting…in the jungle. I don't remember why we were fighting. Dead. Died. Gone…"

Well that was not what he wanted to hear. But perhaps there was still something that could help with his mission. "Do you know where he kept his belongings? A datapad – anything."

Johsnon swayed backwards, his back hitting a wall. A small comfort in a world gone crazy. "He – he kept his old life on him. Stange life. Stange datapads – he thought they were valuable. He died with Sathun, and Rennith, and Avoira. All aliens. Not blue like you. All friends. All fighting…fighting beside the foot of the statue. Still there. Dead…died…gone. If the beasts haven't eaten him."

Neo smiled and gently patted the man's shoulder. "Thank you for your help."

"Don't….leave me. What should I think of now? I don't know what to do with my head...I don't know…"

"Shhh….close your eyes and you will feel better in a moment," Neo told him. When the human's eyes closed, he pulled back his arm and let his fist fly. If the slave leader wasn't already against the wall, he'd have slammed into it by the force of the blow. As it was, his head jerked to the right and he toppled over, out cold. "Sorry, but you're going to feel that in the morn, but at least your mind will be your own when you wake up," he murmured to the downed human.

"Really?" Kaliyo snorted. "Do you always talk to the people you knock out?"

He shrugged. "Most of the time," he admitted.

"You're a strange one, Neo. But I like strange." She looked back down at the human. "You took his dignity and then sucker-punched him a good one. Wouldn't want to be him when he wakes up."

"Me either," Neo muttered. He hoped he never found himself in that man's position. "Kaliyo, grab my belt and don't let go. Annora and I will each toss a flasher out the door when it opens. You toss a smoker. We have films that allow us to see through smoke and gas. If you hang onto me, we'll all get out."

She pulled a smoker off her belt and then slipped her fingers around his belt. "Next time you ask me to grab your belt…turn around and make things far more interesting for the both of us. Not that you don't have a nice -"

"Kaliyo!" Annora hissed.

"Alright…alright…I'm ready. Geesh…" Kaliyo groused.

As Annora released the lock and the door just started to open, she tossed a flasher into the crowd. Before the door was half-way open, he tossed his. A moment later Kaliyo tossed her smoker and the crowd stumbled blindly backwards, choking on the choking on the thick, hazy gas.

They darted out of the building and up a small incline, moving from one large stone cropping to another, using shadows to cover their retreat. The base of the statue was not very far away. Closer to the statue, they ran into more resistance, most choosing to fight and dying for their trouble. They tossed the bodies onto a pile of burning crates. Better than the dead bodies causing disease to spread. While he was doing that, the women were looking through corpses.

"Neo!" Annora said, barely raising her voice. "I found something."

He hurried over to the rodian's body. Hmm…he thought he'd be bigger. She handed him the datapad and he uploaded the data. A moment later, his holo-communicator chimed. He slipped further into the shadows before answering.

"Lodenth Kashar speaking. I have downloaded all the files attached to the datapad. Watcher Two has authorized me to translate the contents. It will take time, but I am already accessing names and locations. The time is yours for now. We will alert you when you can proceed with the mission. Lodenth out."

-BREAK SEVEN- 

For the next three days, they explored the restaurants, museums and other points of interest at Kaas City. Well, he and Annora did. He didn't have a clue how Kaliyo was spending her days, but it was a relief not to have her tagging along like unwanted baggage. The only downside, there was not a lot to explore in Kaas City. Even the restaurants cuisine was bland and boring. Maybe he'd spent too much time outside Imperial space and no longer enjoyed the refined Imperial palate. That being said, they were in the middle of a late lunch at Tobrani's when Kaliyo pulled a chair up to their table and plopped down.

She grabbed a piece of what looked to be some sort of meat off Neo's plate and popped it in her mouth and promptly spit it out onto the floor next to her. "How can you eat that swill?"

"You have the manners of a sewer rat," Annora grumbled as she scooped up the masticated mess with her linen napkin and set it on the table.

Kaliyo crossed her arms over her chest. "At least I'm not eating one."

"Why are you here?" Neo asked briskly. "You've done your best to avoid us up until now." Thank the stars.

She smirked and pursed her lips. "Did you miss me, handsome? You know where I sleep…." Her words trailed off into a husky purr.

Before Neo could respond, his holo-communicator chimed. He pulled it from his belt and flipped it on. Keeper, neat and unflappable as ever, popped up on holo.

"You are being pulled off the mission as of today and are to report to Darth Jadus' office immediately. You know what Jadus is like, Neo. You would do best to treat him with respect when you speak with him."

"Charming," Kaliyo quipped with dry sarcasm when the communication cut off. "Someone really should pull the stick out of his ass." Her gaze slid to the mountainous chiss with impressive arms. "I bet -"

Neo held his hand out to halt Kaliyo's words. "Not today," he told her as he rose from the table.

They took a taxi to their destination and entered the sith headquarters. A soldier explained where Jadus could be found, without the slightest movement. With his helmet on, Neo wasn't even sure if the man's lips had moved. Without a backwards glance, they followed his directions. The second soldier, standing in front of Jadus' office suite, merely pointed.

A robed guard stepped forward to block the trio from entering his master's office. "Only the agent may enter. The master has not requested _their_ presence."

"Shame I have to miss out on a boring meeting. You have fun with that, agent." Kaliyo grinned and winked at Neo and then strolled out the door.

"I'll join you momentarily, Annora." He didn't like her being in the Sith Sanctum without him, but he knew she could take care of herself. As much…if not more so, than most against a sith.

"Come," Jadus commanded. Bored with their personal interactions. His time was too important for such trivial sentiment. "Stand before me and revel in the power of the Dark Council."

Neo inhaled silently, slipping himself into acting mode. Sanctimonious sith were little more than a pain that must be endured. He approached the sith lord.

"Allow your body to betray you. Allow your blood to boil and your heart to slow. Everything that is not of the dark side will be purged – or it will be tainted."

Did the lunatic truly think that he had the power to taint and turn everyone evil around him?

"This is inoculation, agent. This is a sacred rite. You are privileged."

So, his presence is an inoculation against all things good? His bit the inside of his cheek to keep the grin off his face. All sith were alike with their narcissistic delusions of grandeur. He inclined his head. "It is an honor, my lord."

"It has been earned. This is your due reward. You proved yourself outmaneuvering the Hutts. Now I choose you to exterminate the dissidents who would destroy our way of life." Jadus tilted his head as he studied the agent. "I sense your uncertainty – you wonder why I involve myself in this affair, why I take an interest in you and Imperial Intelligence. Many in the Dark Council hold themselves above the mundane business of the Empire. I believe this to be a mistake. No, we must spread the ways of the Sith to the Empire entire – plant terror and hatred in every heart. I believe in the democratization of fear. But these dissidents threaten all progress. Left unchecked, they would reduce our world to ash and raise nothing in its place." Fools! They are all fools. Only HE knew the way. And HE would enlighten them all. "The dissidents want what children want – unlimited freedom without responsibility. This makes them no less dangerous. Do not underestimate our enemies, agent. They are powerful and there are those who would sympathize with them. People at the highest level of government. I chose you for the assignment not only because of your paste successes, but because you are relatively new to your organization. Your loyalty is uncompromised. Do you understand?" He didn't bother to wait for an answer. Any answer would be inconsequential. "Serve your Empire. Watch those around you and trust no one. I will leave Dromund Kaas soon aboard the starship Dominator. I will travel with a thousand dignitaries, diplomats and slaves. I will show them the galaxy as I envision it. When I return, I expect the dissidents to have been purged. Kneel before me now and I will ensure that you have the means to succeed.

Like all sith, he was a pompous, arrogant windbag that thought he knew everything. With little more than a tightening of his jaw, Neo lowered himself to one knee; his gaze dropping to the floor to hide anything that might betray his feelings. "I kneel before you, my lord."

They all paid homage to him. The agent was no different. His thin lips tightened into a smug grin under his mask. "I have remade the pitiful creatures around you into my image," he said with a wave of his hand to the cybernetically enhanced men that surrounded him. "So shall I remake you into the vessel for my power. Now rise, go from here and return to your duties."

Neo rose, nearly eye level to the large sith. The darth was utterly insane. "I've learned a great deal. Thank you for the audience."

"Heed my words. Remember that you walk the path to power – and remember that I am eternal."

And so, he was dismissed. That was all fine and dandy, he'd heard more than enough bluster for the day. Anorra and Kaliyo was waiting for him when he left Jadus' office. He gave them a brief update as they exited the Sith Sanctum.

"Point me to those dissidents so I can get wing-bat out of my life," Kaliyo muttered. She did not need or want a sith anywhere near her business. Agents were supposed to be under the radar and that's just the way she liked it…most days."

Annora's lips tightened, wondering what the Empire might have been if it wasn't controlled by insane, power-hungry sith. "It's not that simple with sith. If we do not perform as expected, we'll be killed. If we perform as expected, they will continue to use us until we are no longer useful to them."

"Let me guess – and then they will kill us?"

"That's possible, Kaliyo, though I'm damned sure not one of intends to be an easy target," Annora assured her, in as much as anyone can ensure anything in regards to the sith.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to anyone." While Neo would love to see Kaliyo gone from his life, the Keeper had made her his responsibility. That meant he had to keep her safe. "We'll play Jadus' game for now – but I have a way with_ problems_. They tend to go away when the time is right."

Conning Imperial Intelligence was one thing, but conning a sith…that was three kinds of crazy. Hmmm….now that sounded like fun. A grin spread over Kaliyo's lips. "I like the way you thing, Agent."

Neo's micro-terminal chimed and he glanced over the message. "I'm to comm Watcher Two when we arrive at the Nexus Room cantina."

They took a taxi back to the Nexus Room in central Kaas City.

Kaliyo slowed her steps and scanned the room as she entered the cantina. "Knew a guy who went to a sith party once. He was the _entertainment_. He came back…wrong. Had to put him down. This place is three kinds of messed up."

"My status will likely keep us from becoming _entertainment,_" he told her.

"Likely? Thanks for the comfort, big guy," Kaliyo frowned, "but I think I'd find more comfort in a cold glass of knock me on my ass. What's a girl gotta do to get a drink in this joint?"

A cleansing breath slipped from his lips and he pulled his communicator off his belt and commed Watcher Two.

"This is Watcher Two. Signal established. I've tapped into the cantina holocams, agent. I can see you from six different angles. We're ready to go."

"Give me the rundown."

"So…Theivor Mindak is a genius inventor and entrepreneur working with the radicals. Unfortunately, Theovor is being sheltered by the Sith Lord Grathan. Grathan turns a blind eye to Theover's _affiliations_ in exchange for weapon designs."

"I am to assume there is a reason you chose to have me contact you in the cantina? Am I to speak to someone here?" he inquired.

"Dealing with Grathan directly isn't an option. He's involved in a power struggle with the other Dark Lords – in essence, he's gone rogue. However, Grathan's daughter, Samara, frequents this cantina. She has access to Theovor's workshop in Grathan's estate," Shara explained to him.

"I'll talk to her. What's her profile?"

"Samara Mindak is rich, young and willing to flaunt her advantages. She's popular with the Kaas City elite, but hardly beloved – no meaningful connections or reputation. Our profile suggests she'll cooperate if given incentives. I've located her in a private lounge – sending you the navpoint; it's up to you how to handle her."

"She won't be a problem," he assured.

"Once Samara's told you how to reach her father's workshop, head to Lord Grathan's estate. Send us anything you find on Theovor's computers."

He inclined his head. "Consider it done."

"Go," Shara told him. "I'll be watching."

"She's upstairs," he informed the others and led them to the lift on the right of the cantina. There were seven private lounges upstairs. Hers was the second door on the right. It would seem they caught her. They arrived just in time to watch her berate one of the partygoers.

"She's a brat," Kaliyo smirked, "but she's got spirit. Want to break it?"

He knew the moment he caught her eye and his race probably had nothing to do with it. No, it was his size that never failed to draw attention.

Samara slowly approached the largest chiss she'd ever seen before. Handsome too. Perhaps he would not bore her. "And look at you. Enjoying yourself? It's not the worst party I've ever been to…but it needs improvement, you know?"

His lips pulled up into a slow smile. "I know what you mean – but things are looking up now."

She grinned at his response to her and patted her hair. "I get that a lot. Not usually from guys like you, though – military guys, I mean. You are military, right? You have that look about you." She didn't give him time to answer, she really didn't care. "Not a lot of aliens walk in here without a chaperone – I figure you've got to be very special." And special was intriguing. Not to mention, he has such pretty blue skin and his eyes sent shivers down her spine. Nice, indeed.

If she were alone, he'd probably schmooze her as far as he could – without crossing the line. Doesn't usually take much to get them to talk, especially if they are attracted to him. But she wasn't alone, so he would blend truth with sweet talk. "I can see that you are a woman aware of what is going on around her. I'm impressed. You were very close in your supposition. I'm with Imperial Intelligence."

Oooh…now that was exciting! She primped and posed, flexing her muscles in exaggerated movements. "Mmm…I see….You going to make me mysteriously disappear?" she teased.

Obenth's mouth dropped open in stunned surprise. Samara had no common sense at all. "Samara – be careful. You need to take this seriously -"

Samara shot a cold glare at her companion. How dare he interfere with her fun. "Shut up, Obenth. I said I'm done with you." Her smile returned when she returned her attention to the chiss mountain. "So tell me – how can I serve the Empire?"

He lowered his voice and looked at her intently. "I came looking for a dangerous man – but I suspect you are much better company."

Mmm…maybe her night was about to get much better. "Ohh…forward – I like that." Her gaze slid down…bigger was better. But she didn't kid herself. The chiss hadn't walked into her lounge for a hook up. "My dad doesn't approve of military guys – says it's hard to know what they're really after."

"Then I shall be up front. Theovor doesn't approve of anyone in the government. That's why I need to see him."

She wished he'd have flirted a bit longer…but she'd had to open her mouth and ruin their fun. She sighed dramatically. "Dad's working for Lord Grathan these days – creepy guy. Anyway, if you want to talk to Theovor, not sure what I can do. He isn't seeing a lot of visitors."

"That is where your help comes in. What would you want in return?"

If she couldn't get him into bed…then maybe he had other uses. "My father's inventions made us rich. So, I don't want that taken away – no government seizures, okay? I want all his credits and all his property transferred to my accounts. Seem like a good deal?"

He pulled his communicator of his belt and flipped it on. "Watcher Two – can we accommodate her?"

Shara looked from the agent to Miss Mindak. "If the information pans out, we'll give you what you want, Miss Mindak." Having said what she intended, she cut the com.

Ohhh…this was getting good! "Okay. Good, then. We've got terms." Her hand flew to her mouth to cover the giggle that escaped. "Theovor's workshop is in Lord Grathan's estate. It's sealed tight – I'll give you my codes., but you will still need a guard's keycard."

"Thank you," he said with an incline of his head. "I'll try to ensure your father is not treated too harshly."

"Sure," Samara replied, her forehead wrinkling. "But…don't try too hard. We were never that close."

Neo couldn't get out of there fast enough. It was unfortunate when family became enemy. Greed and jealousy were almost always the reason behind familial betrayal. If he ever had a family…but, how could he? It was too dangerous in his line of work.

With dinner time coming on, they returned to the hotel for the night. Kaliyo swallowed another bite of medium rare bantha steak and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before she looked from her plate to the couple across the table in the hotel's restaurant. "So, this thing you got going," she said as she waved her fork between the two of them. "You secretly married or something?" She didn't really believe anything they may have said in the past. They had the _married_ vibe.

Anorra's startled eyes flew to Neo to catch his shuttered look before she shook her head. She knew he was leaving her to answer the question. "No. We've been close friends for a number of years. But we often play a married couple when we're out on assignment. Sometimes, habits made in the field can be hard to break." Her gaze lifted and she winked at Neo. "Especially if you care about each other."

"Hmmm," Kaliyo hummed around another bite before swallowing it. "I get the grinding – that's a hell of a lot of fun, if you ask me. But you two give off the _married_ vibe – you don't even look at other people and that's unnatural," she said with a shudder of revulsion. No one would ever see her chaining herself to anyone. She enjoyed the game too much. "You two in love or something?" she asked, not caring if the question too invasive. They'd answer it or they wouldn't, it was all the same to her.

Neo cleared his throat and forced his hands not to tighten into fists in their need to meet up with Kaliyo's face. He wasn't sure what he'd do if Kaliyo said or did anything that would cause Annora to rethink the carnal side of their relationship. "The status of our relationship is none of your concern. It does not interfere with our missions and we are content, so let it be."

Kaliyo's lips twitched. It would seem the agent had something to lose – or didn't want to lose, she corrected. "Touchy," she mumbled as she rose from the table. "I'm out. Don't do anything…I would do."

Annora caught the rattataki's smirk as the woman walked away. She could also feel the heat of Neo's gaze boring into her. She turned a smile on him and settled her hand over the top of his. "It's fine. Don't let her know when she's gotten to you – you're just giving her ammunition."

He released a heavy breath. "I know – I mean, I know better. I don't know why I'm letting her get under my skin. You _know_ I'm usually better at hiding my emotions than this." He raked his free hand through his short, dark blue hair and then shoved his empty plate away. "Honestly, I think it might have to do with not liking the need to wear a façade on my own time. It's fine if we're under cover and there is no _my_ time – but right now this is _my_ time – _our_ time."

"Fake it until you make it, right Neo?" she asked gently.

He grunted. "I doubt I'll ever _make_ it. I'm not sure she has any redeeming qualities, Ann."

She patted his hand. "Give it time, maybe she will surprise you. Until then, think of this as another Riko's Gambit. Remember when we posed as smugglers and joined his crew aboard the _Star Runner_? We had no _our_ time during that mission. And he never once questioned our loyalty and friendship." She forced herself to remain neutral. Riko was another secret between them. Riko had been smuggling sith artifacts to the jedi to have them locked away. By the end of the mission, after they'd gathered the evidence they needed against the smuggler, she'd worked with Riko and a few contacts to fake his death and the destruction of the Star Runner. It was believed the artifacts were destroyed with the ship. Overall, it was a win on both sides. They were able to successfully close the assignment. And the dead Riko and destroyed artifacts made it to Republic Space, hidden in the belly of a frigate.

He nodded, the tension falling from his shoulders. "You're right. I don't like having to give up my personal time because of the Keeper's whims, but I will tolerate the situation for now. And maybe I _will _find a redeemable quality in Kaliyo," he said with a shrug of his massive shoulders, "either way, I'll earn her friendship and loyalty. I'm just glad I'll be able to shower all the shit off before I retire for the night."

He was still in a quandary over the Riko Gambit assignment. Despite the man's proclivities, he'd actually come to like him. If things had been different, the man may have ended up being one of his best friends. The truth wasn't far from that. Watching the Star Runner explode had been far more painful than he'd expected it to be. But it was also a far more noble exit for his enemy come friend than torture at the hands of the sith. Her soft laughter soothed him as they rose from the table and he led her to the chambers they shared.

-BREAK EIGHT-

After breakfast, they rented speeders and took as close as they could to Lord Grathan's estate. They would draw less suspicion on foot, especially if their disguised held up. They took a few moments behind a grove of trees to change into their Grathan guard uniforms. They talked and joked as they made their way past the guardsmen. Neo could feel eyes on him. So far, he hadn't seen any other chiss, so it was possible that he and Ann could trigger alarm. When the guardsmen merely watched, he understood that it was likely his size that gave them pause.

Lord Grathan was a very paranoid little sith; his estate was extremely well guarded. So long as Kaliyo didn't open her mouth and say something stupid, then they would likely make it to their destination. Making it out was another matter altogether. He had several escape route plans, not the least of which was shooting their way out. He would worry about that when the time came.

There was a main thoroughfare that ran through the compound, with the estate situated at the rear of the compound. He was surprised to find so few guards near the entrance to Grathan's estate. The compound had been riddled with them like a corpse gone to rot, but there were surprisingly few past the doors of the estate.

They took the lift down and he glanced quickly at his micro-terminal. The navpoint coordinates for the workshop were on the left.

Annora pointed towards the entrance of another room on the left. "There's the terminal."

He activated the terminal and swiped the identicard. The door slid open and he motioned for the others to follow him at a slight distance. He moved forward, his body tense and ready to react to the slightest danger.

With his heart pounding hard in his chest, Theovor stormed a few footsteps towards the intruders before halting to allow his security droids to catch up to him. "You! You thought you could take me by surprise, but you can't!" No. He wasn't fooled by his gardsman's uniforms. Intelligence had been after his intel for some time. And he'd been ready.

Kaliyo smirked. "What do you want to bet this ends badly?"

Yes, it would. Intelligence had taken everything from him. And he intended to repay them for it. "Those were my daughter's access codes you used. Whatever you've done to her -" he lifted his hand and curled it into a fist. "I'll have my revenge!"

"We've done nothing to her. She's made herself a lucrative deal – she's fine," he informed the older man."

Theovor shook his head, his hand sliced through the air. "My daughter wouldn't do that! And she's not fine! Imperial Intelligence doesn't leave people _fine_. You people took away my wife – stole her from my house one night and never told me what happened! My only daughter grew up to be worthless, and now you've taken her from me too! I despise your kind!"

Neo crossed his arms over his wide chest. "This can be solved peacefully. Comm your daughter, Theovor."

"No!" Theovor bellowed. "There can be no peace until the Empire changes its ways!" With a motion of his hand, he sent his protection detail into attack mode and drew his blaster. He wasn't much good with the blasted thing, but his hatred of Intelligence overrode everything else. He had nothing left to lose.

They darted to the side when the droids' weapons armed, finding what cover they could. By the time the last blaster bolt fired, the droids were scrap and Theovor lay in a pool of blood. Such a waste. With a last frown at the dead man, he located a terminal and proceeded to upload its contacts to Imperial Intelligence.

A few moments later, his communicator chimed. He glanced around to make sure they were still safely alone and then flipped the device on.

"This is Watcher Two. I'm downloading the contents of Theovor's computer – looks like blueprints, work he's done for Lord Grathan, and…Ah! Encrypted files. I should be able to decifer them if I cross-reference with the slave's datapad….Hmmm…I don't like what I'm seeing. There's a timetable, activity convergences, indications of something big. Get back to base as soon as you can."

"We'll head there immediately."

"I'll see you soon, agent."

He snapped his communicator back onto his magbelt. "Be ready for anything. I doubt Theovor turned off the security feeds in this room. Consider our cover blown."

It was clear until the re-entered the large, central room. The sounds of running feet and blaster bolts, spoke of a great man people heading their way. They darted out into the central chamber with their weapons firing at anyone armed and dressed in guardsman issued uniforms.

Neo was bemused to realize the guardsmen weren't aiming at them at all…of course, now they were; but prior to that, they were aiming at a large, red sith and a massive monster that made even him feel small.

Vrok looked over in stunned surprise when another trio of guards burst into the room and started firing on their own. Spies, then. For the Ascendency or for the Empire? It didn't matter. What mattered was that they were fighting with him and not against him. Not that he didn't enjoy shooting lightning bolts up the asses of fools, but right now he'd managed to kick a hornet's nest – one he wasn't even sure he and Khem could survive without aid. He picked up a guard with his power and flung him against a hard metal wall "Join us, my new blue friends," he waved them to join him, "and we shall make it out alive!"

"I'm not blue," Kaliyo grumbled, though she was thankful for the assist.

Vrok blasted a row of guard backwards to give the three spies room to reach him. The large chiss' hesitation was almost nonexistent. But then, he didn't think a spy would survive long if they didn't think fast on their feet. "Vrok," he said jovially as drew his hands together to shoot a massive wave of lightening into the guards. "The dashade is Khem." He shook the tingle from his hands then picked up one unfortunate bastard and threw him at several others.

So, it was to be pleasantries in the middle of battle. Crazy, but taking on another man's battle had been too. Though, that had been quite by accident. Since he didn't want to lose his hidden blades, he was stuck using his sniper. Not the best weapon of choice in close quarters, but he aimed for the rear of the attacking horde. "Neronu. The other chiss is Ann, the rattatki is Kaliyo."

They fought their way out of the estate, leaving a trail of dead and injured in their wake. The outer compound was fairly clear, as most of the guards ran inside to deal with the invaders. Once they reached the compounds outer boarders, there was another skirmish, though nothing compared to what they'd faced in the estate.

When they reached the copse of trees that hid their speeders, he turned to face the sith and his monster. "It was a pleasure kicking arse with you both," Neo told them with a slight bow.

Vrok absently rubbed a finger over his chin growths, feeling the slight give of the thickened cartilage. They were not bony and sharp like the spurs many of the Blood had, instead they held a number of nerve endings and gave a tingling pleasure when touched. In appearance, they resembled a beard at the end of his chin. "I am aware that you could have safely slipped through the other guards and yet you stayed to help us. And in doing so, you burned your cover. Your courage will not be forgotten. Here," he said as he aimed his micro-terminal at the spy's wrist to send his frequency to the chiss. "If you are ever in need of assistance, comm me. If I am able, I will help in any way that I can."

Neo felt the small vibration of his micro-terminal accepting the data stream. "That is a kind offer – but to be completely honest, we assumed our cover was blown and came out fighting."

"Can I eat them?" Khem growled, not liking all the standing around.

The Blood laughed heartily over the blunder that had been most beneficial to his and the dashade's survival. "No, Khem. You can't eat them," he said with a roll of his eyes. "An honest spy. You are quite the oxymoron, Neronu, my friend. The why doesn't matter, the assistance was appreciated either way."

Kaliyo took a step back. She didn't get paid enough to get eaten. "I'm stringy – the big guy here," she motioned towards Neo, "will keep you fed a long time, monster…thing…"

There was no point denying he was a spy. There would be no other reason for him to be firing on his own people. "Ignore my companion, Khem. Either she was dropped on her head too many times as a baby or spice abuse has addled her brains."

"Hey!" Kaliyo shot back at him and then blinked. "All things considered...you could be right about that."

He forced himself to wink at Kaliyo and then grinned at the chuckling red sith. Only, the grin wasn't forced. He had not expected to ever like a sith, but the guy was arguably hard to dislike. "Call me Neo. Give us a moment." With a nod to the women, he hurried over to where he'd left his clothing and eagerly got back into his Intelligence dress whites. He tossed his disguise in the small bag and returned to the gliders. He flipped up the seat and dropped the bag in the storage compartment beneath it.

"You clean up nice, Neo," Vrok teased.

He cleared his throat. "Right. I do stick out a bit," Neo admitted. He probably should have chosen something else to wear. Nothing he could do about it now. "Ride with us. We can take you as far as the taxi pad outside the sith sanctum."

And again, Vrok was stunned. Despite his noble birth, he been enslaved and treated poorly for so long it was still shocking to hear anyone say anything kind to him or treat him as an equal even. He eyed the three speeders warily. "I'm not sure we'll fit – unless we sit on each other…and I have no desire to sit I Khem's lap"

Annora sensed no deception and the sith had spoken no lies. Instead, the man was proving to be charming in an exaggerated, humorous sort of way. "That would be a sight to see, but we can spare you the pleasure. Kaliyo can ride with Neo, I'll ride with you and Khem can take the third speeder."

Kaliyo found herself quite relieved with that arrangement. She didn't want to be at the mercy of the sith and his monster. That just wasn't going to work for her. But this…this plan of Annora's would.

Vrok tilted his head and stroked his chin growths. "I would ask what you seek in return, but I suspect you will ask nothing of me. You are unlike anyone I've met before."

"The same could be said about you. You are unlike any sith I've met before. You are not narcissistic and blinded by your own self-absorbed grandeur. If I did not know that was even possible," Neo admitted.

The man's candor was highly refreshing. Either he was subjugated by those who knew him as having been a slave or people feared him because he was sith. His ribs ached with his laughter. When he could finally catch his breath, he grinned at the large chiss. "I like you, Neo. In my last life, those words would have offended me - but the life am living now, it allows me to see things much more clearly. And you, my friend, are priceless. We would be glad to join you."

They were all grateful that it hadn't started raining and they made it to the taxi pad without getting soaked.

"Thank you for everything. We will not forget your generosity, my friend." And he did consider the spy a friend. He was the first truly kind soul he'd met since he'd been awoken from his centuries long sleep in carbonite only to end up a slave. "I hope that you will keep in touch."

"Count on it," Neo told him. He didn't know when that would be, but he suspected he'd not seen the last of the red sith. He held out his hand to shake on it and the sith grabbed his forearm, so he gripped the sith's forearm in return.

"Well met, my friend. Well met."

"Take care, Vrok. It's a sith eat sith world out there," Neo warned.

"Tell me about it," Vrok said with a frown. A rough rumble drew his attention to Khem. Was that a laugh?

"I like to eat sith," Khem agreed.

With a shake of his head, Vrok released the chiss' arm and inclined his head to the ladies. "Until we meet again…"

Neo mounted his speeder. "Let's get back to Intelligence." His speeder rose from the ground. With one last look back, he saw the sith disappear into the Sanctum. For the first time, and encounter with a sith felt good. He eased back on the clutch and turned in the direction of the landing pad they needed.

They dropped their speeders off and hurried into Intelligence headquarters. Keeper and Watcher Two were waiting in the command center.

Garrett nodded when he saw the trio approaching. "Watcher Three, I need that linkup to the Dominator. If Lord Jadus wished to observe, we must accommodate him."

Watcher Three nodded, his fingers flying over the holokeys. "Establishing hololink, sir. Dataflow is synchronized."

"You were nearly late for the briefing," Garrett scolded his agent.

His dark blue brows rose in confusion. "I was unaware of any briefing, Keeper."

"Sorry, agent," Shara apologized, a flush warming her cheeks. "It's been hectic." Still, that was no call for her to forget to mention the briefing.

Garrett ignored their words. "Lord Jadus. Are you receiving our transmission?"

Jadus nodded when Intelligence Command came into view. "I am, Keeper. Proceed."

"Very well. You all know we've been attempting to determine the dissident's plan of attack. Thanks to recent operations, we have the information we need. Unfortunately. The news is worse than we expected. A major strike is imminent." He glanced over at Shara and nodded.

Shara explained the intel she'd discovered. "The dissidents are targeting the ancient power conduits that run beneath the capital. Their intension is to overload the power grid, causing a cascade failure that would detonate the power relay stations. The resulting explosions would kill hundreds of people, and the blackout would leave us vulnerable to further attacks."

Watcher Three shook his head. That didn't sound right. It shouldn't be that easy. "Sir, aren't all access points to the power grid under military control?"

"All but one," Garrett told him. "The terrorists intend to access the power conduits through the Dark Temple."

The Dark Temple? That hadn't even heard whispers of such a place. Obviously, it had to be a sith temple, but he needed to know more about the place. "Sorry to interrupt – what's the Dark Temple?" Neo inquired.

Keeper was glad Neo had spoken up. An agent needed to be armed with as much intel as possible. "I'll sum it up for those of you unfamiliar with the history. The Dark Temple predates Dromund Kaas' colonization. It was sealed by the sith during the city's construction. When the Dark Council opened it some months back, they found it inhabited by force-driven phenomena. Workers on-site began disappearing inside, controlled by unknow entities."

"But, whereas we saw the Dark Temple as a threat to be contained," Shara jumped in, "the dissidents saw it as an opportunity. The temple rests directly above a key power junction. If the dissidents can push past the, ah, phenomena, they can access the grid."

"These dissidents have been planning – they have supplies," Garrett informed them, "that includes maps and weapons – they're not counting on making it out alive. This is a suicide run."

"Then we will not have to waste resources hunting them down later," Neo pointed out.

Garrett nodded. "We have security footage of the dissidents heading toward the Dark Temple. A full squad of operatives will pursue -"

"No!" Jadus cut in before any more could be said about soldier infiltrating the temple.

Garrett took a step back in surprise. "My lord?"

"There will be no squad. The Dark Temple is sacred ground and will not be unduly disturbed. My agent will go alone," Jadus informed the Keeper.

Garrett couldn't believe what he was hearing. There was too much at risk to assign such a task to a single agent. "My lord, I strongly urge you to reconsider. If the dissidents succeed - "

Jadus frowned, though it was wasted behind his mask. "I said, no. The spirits of the temple must not be disturbed – not by terrorists and not by Imperial Intelligence. One agent will suffice. My role here is finished." He pointed his finger at the Keeper. "Do as I will, Keeper."

Garrent inclined his head to the sith lord. "Very well." When the holo went dark, he turned his attention to Neo. "The decision has been made. You will go to the Dark Temple. Stop the radicals from reaching the conduits and detonating their charges."

"We'll take care of it, sir,"

"Good man," Garrett stated proudly.

"We'll monitor you as long as we can, but the temple blocks most transmissions. So just, ah…good luck, agent." Shara hoped she'd be seeing him again. He was a good field man and his loss would affect them all.

This was going to be one hell of a long day. They'd spent the morning and early afternoon at Grathan's and it looked like they'd be spending the late afternoon and possibly a chunk of the evening at a haunted temple. "Come on, we'll head to the kitchens and get something to eat on the way."

They grabbed something ready to go at the kitchens and ate quickly, tossing the wrappers into the bin before they even made it out of Intelligence. As they were leaving the buildingd, they all but ran into another group consisting of a what appeared to be two women and a man dressed in mando armor. Not the usually type seen at Intelligence.

Annora grinned at the trio, flashing the female in charge a wink before she hopped into the taxi Neo had procured for them.

Neo punched in the navpoint coordinates and the taxi lifted off. "Do you know them?" he asked Annora when he caught her friendly overture.

"Not at all," she said with a gentle shake of her head. "There was something about them though…I don't know, I can't explain it." She shrugged.

What could he say to that? He'd had feelings like that before as well.

As their taxi settled on the landing pad closest to the temple, Annora caught sight of the trio in mando armor refueling their speeders as she exited the taxi. She grinned as she approached the other group. "So, you beat us even though you left after us," she said with a gentle laugh. "Impressive."

Sylver grinned at her. "We…took a short cut."

Annora bumped Neo with her elbow. "How come we didn't know about that, Neo?" she teased. The white-haired woman had impressed her. She'd been on Dromund Kaas many times and had been unaware of any short cut. But she's also been unaware of the Dark Temple, so perhaps that didn't mean much.

Neo grunted and eyed the woman in armor. Unless she was an agent infiltrating the mandalorians, he didn't think she was an agent, despite having seen her in Intelligence. "It would appear we didn't bother to ask the right people."

"I didn't say it was a smart shortcut," Sylver admitted. They'd barely avoided some rocks that were hurled at them by some big, angry beast. She was pretty sure they only avoided to projectiles because of Xocha.

"Priceless!" Annora laughed. "I'm Annora, the big guy is Neo and woman with the frown is Kaliyo. She's always a ray of sunshine," Annora teased.

"Up yours," Kaliyo groused. "No one trusts people who are happy all the time. It just makes them liars."

Annora shook her head, but the smile stayed in place. "You're far too pessimistic, Kaliyo – one does not have to equal the other. You might find life more enjoyable if you smiled."

"I'd smile if you fell face first into that mud puddle," she motioned towards the puddle to the right. "Seeing you covered in mud would keep me smiling all day."

"Right then," Sylver butted in. "I'm Sylver Wren, this is Xocha," she motioned to the jedi in mando armor, "and this is Mako. I'm assuming, you are going to the ancient sith temple too, seeing as there is nothing else around here?"

"We are," Annora admitted. "Why don't we join forces to get there? We'll go our own way once we're inside and then, if luck prevails, we join up again before we leave."

"I'm inclined to agree, since I don't know what we'll be facing," Sylver agreed. "We can double up and ride the speeders. You take mine, Neo. One of your party can ride with Mako."

He inclined his head to the white-haired woman. "Thank you, Sylver. Kaliyo, you're with me." He didn't trust Kaliyo at his back, but she had been made his responsibility. There wasn't much room for her…if she fell off he would not cry in his caf.

Mako smiled at Annora. "It looks like it's you and me, girl. Hop on."

They picked their way carefully up to the temple's entrance. With one arm around Xocha, Sylver used her free hand to shoot anything that got too close to them. She noticed the other group was equally impressive with their shooting. "Riding double saved us a lot of time," she told the other trio once they dismounted the speeders and entered the main hall. "I hope we meet up on the way out. It would be faster leaving, if you're with us. K'oyacyi! Stay alive. Something is very wrong with the people here. It is like they are…possessed."

Neo nodded. "Well met and good luck." He motioned his companions to the left and ascended the stairs. The temple's interior showed signs of construction but overall it was in remarkable shape. Intricate stone collumns and statues lined the massive inner chamber. A second level could be seen from below and archways lined the walls on all sides, allowing access to further chambers.

Whispers tickled at Kaliyo's head. "Did you say something?" she asked hesitantly. She frowned when he shook his head. "I swear there's someone talking to me…."

"I hear it too. The spirits want you to let them in. But you're a strong woman, Kaliyo. You won't let them in," Annora assured her.

"You better be right about that," Kaliyo grumbled and shook her head again to clear it.

"Our navpoint is at the end of the central chamber on the right," Neo informed them. He caught quick sight of the other trio disappearing through an archway at the opposite side of the large chamber and wished them luck. He pulled his rifle, the barrel extending outward, ready to fire as he entered the archway that led down to the power junction…and to the dissidents.

For the most part, they'd been left alone coming through the large, central chamber. Not so, in the hall leading down to the lower level. They had to clear out the few possessed men that had stumbled into the hall ahead of them. With no room to keep away from them, the possessed had attacked. At the end of the stairwell was a metal, railed balcony. The electrical current was so intense he could feel the hair raising all over his body. Looking down over the railing, he saw massive power conductors. Across the way there was a central platform. He motioned for the women to head right, while he sighted down the barrel of his sniper at one of the dissidents. The first two he took down with headshots before they even knew he was there. He calculated the roll of the third and took him down as well.

The remainder of the men were rolling into cover and firing back. He doubted the crew had any snipers, no bolts were reaching him, but he would keep them distracted while his team got into position. Between the three of them, it did not take long neutralize the terrorists. Holovids always showed, long drawn-out fights, but fights were seldom ever very long. Most were over in minutes. They spread out, each taking a detonator charge to disable.

Annora had just disabled detonator when she thought she heard something. She stilled and a moment later she knew she'd been right when she heard the man speak out again.

"Is anybody there?" the wounded man spoke out into the silence.

She turned her head and saw Neo approaching her. "Neo – there's someone down here. He must be injured, he's not trying to kill me."

"Then he may just live to tell stories of this day," Neo responded grimly.

With weapons ready, they came around the pile of crates and saw a man, his back resting against the crates. He was clutching his side, the trickle of blood seeping out from between his fingers showed the injury he'd received. Though, how he got injured was another matter. That wound had not come from his team.

Glenn looked at the two chiss. "Are you with the military? I heard shots, but I wasn't sure." He sucked in a harsh breath as pain stabbed at him. "I can't believe you followed us in here. None of us are going to make it out – you know that, right?"

"I'm not so easy to kill," Neo told the man matter of fact. "What happened to the others?"

"We came here to make a stand – but I'm the last one. A dozen of us came into the temple, and the rest are dead – or gone. Same with you, I guess."

Neo pursed his lips and shook his head. "Not exactly. My team consisted of three, we have yet to die. Why throw your lives away like this?"

"For the only reason that matters! To show the Empire what it means to fight for freedom – and we still will. You can shoot me now, you can save the power grid, preserve the Imperial lifestyle for a little longer. But there are other cells. They'll keep fighting."

Other cells. Of course, there were. "What other cells?"

He gripped his side, hissing with another sharp pain. "Other cells, other planets. This attack was just the tip of the iceberg. There's worse coming – but that's all you're going to learn from me. I know you're going to kill me, Imperial. So shoot me now, before the ghosts get into your head."

"I'm not going to shoot an unarmed and injured man. That's not how I operate," he assured the terrorist.

Glenn grimaced. "You have to shoot me! I need you too! I saw what happened to my friends. I took comfort in the fact that I'd die when we took down the power grid…Have mercy. Kill me now, before the ghosts come."

"You mean the ones that are talking to me inside my head? The bastards are so damned pushy," Kaliyo grumbled as she raised a hand to rub at her temples.

"Do it now!" Glenn's voice rose to near hysteria.

"As I said, I'm not going to kill you." He pulled a medpac out of a pouch on his belt and dropped it onto the wounded man's lap. "Take the medpac. Patch yourself up and get out of here."

What? No! He would never make it back out of the temple on his own. He used the medpac, a moment later, the pain lessened to a tolerable level. "I can't go out there on my own. Take me with you. I'll turn myself in. I'd rather face torture than the things down here."

"Fine, but you're going to have to keep up and when we reach the speeders, you'll be riding with Kaliyo and Mako – they're the smallest."

On the way out of the chamber, he grabbed a blaster from one of the corpses and handed it to wounded man. If the man couldn't keep up, he would need to be able to defend himself. "I hope you know how to use it….and don't even think of turning that blaster on us."

"No…no, I won't. You have my word. Just get me out of here," Glenn pleaded. He wasn't a skilled fighter, his skill was technology, but he was glad to feel the weight of the blaster in his hand. At least he knew he could end his life…if he had to.

Possessed were coming into the hall and they were having to shoot a path out. Unfortunately, the blaster he'd taken from the corpse did not have a silencing diffuser on it and that alerted every possessed to their position.

"Oh – that's not good," Kaliyo groaned as they exited the hall and saw the possessed swarming towards them. "I bet were gonna catch up to the others," she said as she fired behind her.

"They are probably long gone by now. Why would they wait around here and risk getting possessed?" he countered.

"Less talk and more running," Glenn cried out in fear.

With the possessed fast on their tails, they found themselves running nearly backwards, firing behind them at the corrupted people that were giving chase. They heard a shouted 'K'oyacyi!' and then suppression fire came to bear against their assailants.

"What do you know?" Kaliyo called out. "I knew we'd catch up with them again. You owe me, agent!"

"Later, Kaliyo. Let's focus on getting out of her in one piece," Neo reminded her. His arm swung to the right to take out another possessed soul. "And call me Neo – not agent." Her mouth was going to make his job very difficult or get them all killed. The idea was not to tell everyone that he was an agent.

Thank you, Kaliyo. That certainly explained who he was and who Kaliyo wasn't. At least Sylver knew to be more careful around them. Mouthing off about the sith or the Empire, probably wouldn't be the best route with that group.

Once the Sylver's group got far enough ahead, they laid down cover fire while his group withdrew. In that manner they made their way to the exit. Not every possessed came after them, some were fighting their own internal battles or just didn't seem to care. Likely, different groups were controlled by different dead Sith Lords, some more prone to aggression than others.

They didn't stop until they were mounting their speeders and moving at a fast clip away from sith-spawn central. Once they reached the taxi pad where they'd met up, there was a round of grateful handshakes.

"What you heard in there…" Neo began.

"Don't worry, Neo. My line of work has as many secrets in it as yours. We are very good at keeping secrets," Sylver assured him. "If you are ever in need of assistance, comm me. If we are in the area, we'll help. Consider us…contacts. Is that the right word?"

He chuckled. "It is as right as any other. You may comm us as well – or Annora, in any event. It is wise to have contacts my superiors are unaware of."

Mako locked her hands behind her back to keep from grabbing his micro-terminal and giving him a secure, unmonitored channel. But why would a spook trust her poking around in his micro-terminal?

With a farewell to their new…friends, they hopped a taxi. He turned the terrorist over to an agent near the entrance of Intelligence before heading deeper in to meet up with Keeper. They needed to know that there were other active cells and other targets.

-BREAK NINE-

"Scans are finding no ships nearby," Lodenth reported.

Neo could feel the tension as he entered the command center. Something happened. But what?

"We've got wreckage coming down over the city – from that height and at that velocity, the collateral damage alone could cost millions," Shara warned.

Watcher head shook his head. Money wasn't the only problem. "If the reactor core was breached, the radiation damage will -"

"I don't care about the radiation damage!" Garrett growled. "Damn it! Get me security footage, communications logs, something we can use."

"All military channels are reporting in," Shara told him. "The Dominator has been completely destroyed."

Destroyed? With Jadus and all the civilians he was going to take with him? "What happened?" Though, how could this happen would have been the better question to ask.

Shara looked up, a small grin played on her lips. "It's good to see you. There was a secondary target. Apparently - "

"Watcher Two!" Garrett grumbled. "I still need confirmation. And you, agent – get ready to move. We need everyone operational.

"Sorry, sir," Shara responded quickly. "But there were over 3000 people on that ship. Half of them civilians -"

Garrett sighed. "I'm aware of that. Do your job, Watcher Two. Run the numbers."

"Lockdown procedures are in place," Watcher Three interrupted. "All traffic has been grounded. Getting conflicting reports from the Kaas City spaceport; trying to sort it out."

Shara read the report coming in. "Initial analysis is done. Cross-checking with the droids. All sources confirm: casualties are one hundred percent."

A darth died on his watch. Garrett rubbed his aching forehead. "Then Darth Jadus is dead."

"Do you know how it happened?" Neo inquired.

Shara rubbed her dry, stinging eyes; she'd been staring at the screen too long. "There was an explosion aboard the Dominator. We're not sure about the origin, but it has to be connected to the dissidents. Darth Jadus was leaving on a special tour of the Empire – he brought military personnel, civilians and sith to his flagship as part of some grand vision. Now, they're all dead."

"And how are we responding?" he asked quietly.

"Standard planetary security procedures. No one goes anywhere until we say so."

"Sir, we've got a starship trying to take off," Watcher Three warned. "Several dissidents from the watch list are aboard. Military squads are moving to intervene."

Soldiers were hammers and right now they didn't need a hammer. "They'll blow the ship to pieces. I want the terrorist alive, and I want their computer intact!" Garrett spun on his heels. "You! Fixer – do we have any SEC-M units available?"

Fixer Twelve halted in his tracks. He rarely had to deal with the Keeper directly and his nerves were all over the place. "What…"

Of all the…"The mouse droids! Find one and bring it back now!" Once the Fixer was on his way, Garrett turned to face Neo. "Whatever ordeal you went through in the Dark Temple, your recovery will have to wait. You are my best agent and I need you in the field." He briefly evaluated Kaliyo and then locked gazes with Annora. Her nod sent a wave of relief through him. She believed Neo was up for the task. Now, where was the…Fixer!

Fixer Twelve rushed back into command with the mouse droid in his arms. "I have the droid here, sir"

About damned time. "Take the droid, agent, and deliver it into one of the ship's maintenance conduits. With the droid aboard, we can disable the hyperdrive and download its computer contents."

"What would you have me do after that?" Neo asked the Keeper as he took the mouse droid and its remote from the Fixer.

"Nothing more. We'll use a tractor beam to bring the ship back after they take off. I have interrogators standing by. You three are free for the rest of the night. We will meet first thing in the morning. There is much we need to discuss."

"Then we will be on our way." Neo lowered the droid to the ground and activated the it with the remote.

Kaliyo wasn't pleased with the extension of their mission. She'd put in a long day and if it didn't end soon, she wouldn't even have the energy to enjoy a nightcap before bed. And that would be a tragedy. This gig paid well and working with Neo guaranteed chaos. Of course, that meant she had to follow his schedule rather than her own. For now, she was okay with the sacrifice. She could always leave when it stopped being interesting. A smile curled over her lips. Credits and chaos – what more could a girl want?

Since it was raining by the time they left Intelligence, they opted for taxi over speeders. Working in wet clothing was less than ideal. Thankfully, taxi rooves could be raised or lowered as needed. Though, they automatically raised in conditions that could damage the interior of the taxi. The ride was short and quiet. Neo assumed the others were also contemplating the enormity of what had happened and what the ensuing consequences might be. Then again, maybe they were just exhausted.

The taxi dropped them off at the navpoint he'd put in and he further instructed it to remain. Intelligence would cover the bill and they needed to be prepared if a fast get away was needed. Neo was surprised to see the room they'd been led to was empty. "Our ride," he said, motioning to the elevator. Once, they were in, he selected the holokey for Cargo Port A3. "Lock and load, ladies."

"What does that even mean?" Kaliyo grinned. "It sounds sexual."

Neo rolled his eyes. "It means, be ready for anything…weapons ready."

Well now, that wasn't near as fun. "Then why didn't you just say that?"

"Trust that I will from now on." Anything to keep her from going on about inconsequential jargon.

The doors opened, drawing the attention of the dissidents stationed nearby. They rolled behind crates stacked near the walls and took out the men that were firing at them. They rounded the corner, tight to the wall to avoid being seen by the terrorists in the cargo bay. He motioned for them to take cover behind the crates up ahead and then motioned that he was moving to the other side of the door. When they acknowledged, he lowered himself and dove across the hall to the opposite wall.

His crate was further back than theirs, but that worked out better since he was the one carrying the sniper rifle. He was surprised that no one fired at him. It would seem that the dissidents had become complacent. He pulled out the mouse droid's remote and directed it in through the maze of crates and terrorists, strait up a venting pipe and into the ship. Their job here was done. When they looked back at him, he motioned for them to return to the elevator.

"I think that was more fun for you than for us," Kaliyo griped once they were topside. At least you got to play games with the mouse droid."

"Sorry, Kaliyo. Next time I'll let you play with the mouse droid," he told her as he slid into the waiting taxi.

That brought a sparkle to her eyes. "You will?" she asked, cheered by the thought. His silence and serious expression told her he would do no such thing. "Good on you, agent. You got me." Her smile widened when his white teeth flashed between his dark blue lips. She suspected this was the first real smile he'd ever given her. Maybe she was growing on him after all.

When they returned to command, there were fewer agents running amok, but those that remained showed signs of the strain they were currently under.

Movement caught Garrett's attention and he quickly bit back the smile that curled his lips. "Welcome back, agent. Excellent work out there – absolutely excellent.

"The mouse droid has just sent back the contents of the ship's computer, sir," Watcher Three reported. "The tractor beam has captured the ship; I'll send the military to pick up the dissidents."

Garrett released a soothing breath, the weight on his shoulders feeling a little lighter. "At least one thing's gone smoothly today. It would seem, the worst has passed. I know it's late, but it will be a while longer before you are released."

Neo nodded his understanding. "Do we know anything more about the attack?"

Garrett fell into a military rest stance - a reflexive move from years past. "We're fairly certain the explosion came from the inside of the Dominator: in all likelihood, one of the civilians onboard was the bomber."

"Keeper!" Watcher Two cut in. "I'm receiving a transmission. Someone's broadcasting a holorecording to the entire Imperial communication network."

Clever dissidents, Neo mused. "It would seem the terrorists want to talk – maybe they will say something useful."

"Patching it through now," Watcher Two told them. "I'm going to try to pinpoint the source…"

Eagle raised his hands to his viewers. "Citizens of the Empire – this is the Eagle. I'm here to tell you that our government is corrupt. Apathetic Moffs and wicked Lords of the Dark Council vie for power while our soldiers die over worthless planets in nameless star systems."

Garrett looked over at Neo. "Typical consolidationist rhetoric. Watcher Two, keep trying to find a source for the broadcast. Everyone else, start pulling up any files we have on _the Eagle_. We've been hearing rumors about the Eagle for years, but we never thought he could pull off anything this big. Another mistake."

The Eagle's voice rose. "Anyone who speaks out in favor of reform is kidnapped and tortured by Imperial Intelligence This must not continue!"

"The Ministry of Logistics reports that they can't jam the signal," Watcher Three relayed. "Everyone in the Empire is seeing this!"

"A short time ago," Eagle said with a smirk, "a group of defiant revolutionaries destroyed an Imperial dreadnaught. Three thousand people were aboard – including Darth Jadus, a Lord of the Dark Council. We chose to strike at Darth Jadus publicly so that every Imperial citizen would know the truth: The Dark Council is not invulnerable. We _can_ effect change." His smile fell. "We regret the sacrifice of so many civilians, but is was necessary. The Empire cannot cover up this momentous event. Imperial Intelligence cannot silence our call to arms."

"Get to the point, you piece of filth," Garrett growled. "What is it you really want to say?"

The man knew how to give a speech and no doubt many would be moved by it. But 3000 people were killed for his agenda. 3000 people that did not volunteer their lives – their lives were stolen. Just as many would find the Eagle's solution unforgivable. "He's coming to the climax; shall we see if he sings?"

"This is only the first step toward a better future. We have agents throughout the Empire preparing to strike again….and again. We will not relent until our government chooses strength over weakness; unity over discord." Eagle lifted his hand and curled it into a fist. "We will continue to show the anger of the people. This is the Eagle. End transmission."

The holo flickered out and Garrett turned to address the room. "We've made mistakes today. We underestimated the Eagle. We ere to slow to eliminate the dissidents. We assumed the Dark Temple was the sole terrorist target." He gave a the barest of nods to Annora and then caught and held Neo's gaze. But you performed above and beyond expectations. You showed you can handle these people. And now you're going to show us the way forward."

"What would you have me do, Keeper?"

"You are going to head our operation to dismantle the Eagle's network. You will locate and eliminate his terror cells through infiltration, manipulation and assassination. I am assigning you a rank and designation as suits your new position. You no longer have a name. You will answer only to Cipher Nine."

Shara smiled warmly at him. "Congratulations, Cipher Nine, you earned this."

Garrett cleared his throat. "With the rank comes certain privilages – including a degree of operational independence. You may recruit your own operatives, and you will be outfitted with a starship." He glanced over at Shara. "Watcher Two, you will remain Cipher Nine's liaison to base. I assume that won't be a problem?"

She shook her head. "No problem, sir. Glad to stay a part of this operation."

Garrett inclined his head to her. "Good. When you report in tomorrow, begin analyzing all repots on recent dissident activity – I want a list of possible terrorist cell location." Without giving her a chance to reply, he turned back to Neo. "The Eagle says he's got agents around the galaxy. Assuming he's telling the truth, you're going to be doing some traveling. Your starship is at the spaceport. It's been refit and removed from public record. Tomorrow, Watcher Two will upload likely activity centers for the Eagle and his network. Proceed to your targets as you see fit. Do whatever is required. Be careful…and good luck."

"Thank you, sir." He smiled at Garrett and nodded. He was eager to leave command and see his new ship. With a ship of his own, his life would become simpler. "Give me a moment," he told Annora and Kaliyo when he saw Watcher Two rubbing her head as she stared at whatever the holoscreen displayed.

Shara turned when she heard Neo's heavy footfalls. "Looks like we've got a moment of calm. How are you handling everything?"

It was kind of her to think of him. He had Annora to keep him grounded, but he suspected she had no one, at least no one nearby. "It has been an exhausting day, both physically and mentally. You have a lot riding on your shoulders. How are you doing?"

She was surprised that a chiss would care about her welfare. She'd tried to keep guard up with him, like she did with other agents but she was finding it difficult not to like him, even if he was an alien. "I appreciate the concern." She rubbed her forehead briefly before realizing what she'd done. Her hand fell back to her side. "Honestly. I don't know. The situation with the Dominator…shook me." She looked up into his eerie red eyes. "How is it that I can torture a colleague without feeling a thing - but three thousand dead strangers is too much to handle?"

He kept the concerned look on his face and hid the revulsion that welled at her words. She'd tortured a colleague without remorse? No, he couldn't judge. He didn't know the story behind it. "Those three thousand people were innocent. The torture or death of innocents can breach even the most hardened of souls. What you are feeling, Watcher – it's normal."

His words were not only true, but she felt solace in them. "Thank you. I did not expect that you could comfort me in any way. And yet you have." She drew in a breath and straightened her shoulders. "Anyway, I shouldn't bother you with this. I've been monitoring you for too long – I'm starting to think of you as a friend instead of our alien agent."

Alien agent? Perhaps one day, she would see him as just an agent. "Being alien has nothing to do with the capacity to care. Friends are precious and few, Watcher. Especially in our line of work. Just know, I'll be there for you in any way that I can – if you let me. That's what friends do," he said with a smile. He had very few friends himself. His life was full of lies and deceit. He found it difficult to weave friendships into that clusterfuck.

He was an alien, she had nothing in common with him. Even so, she sort of liked him…for an alien. She wasn't sure she would ever trust him. How could she? He was not even human. Not that all humans were decent, trustworthy people. She would analyze her thoughts and feelings on the matter later…maybe over a glass of red wine. Red..like his eyes. She shook the thoughts from her head. She still had a couple of loose ends to tie up before she could retire. "I…appreciate that. It takes some getting used to, is all. But, thank you. You are kind and thoughtful. I didn't expect that."

"Of course. Just be sure to take care of yourself, all right?" he asked quietly.

"And you," she replied back and then quickly turned her attention back to the data on the holofeed. She needed to distract her brain before it returned to analyze his words.

He'd done what he could. She did not appear as dejected as she had before. Perhaps he had been able to give her some small amount of comfort. He rejoined Annora and Kaliyo. "Let's get something to eat and then gather our things. We'll sweep the ship for bugs and sleep there tonight."

They were far too exhausted to enjoy a lengthy, laidback dinner. So, they ate quickly, gathered their belongings and took a taxi to the spaceport. When they reached the hangar bay, he could only stare at the ship, impressed with its sheer beauty. He'd never been inside anything as fine as the ship that was now his.

Kaliyo whistled. "Looks like we're going to be riding in style now, agent – er..Neo."

"That we are, Kaliyo. Let's go check her out."

The airlock opened to a small room where they were forced to wait. "Decompression not needed. Decontamination in progress." The ship's VI told them.

As soon as the inner door slid out of the way, the ship's droid introduced itself as 2V-R8 and gave them a tour of his new ship. It was a smaller ship, but he suspected she was fast. To the left of the airlock opened up into a spacious area that contained four rooms. To the left, the hangar bay/cargo room, which held a number of speeders, supply cabinets and crates. There was also a large double door in the deck's floor. There appeared to be a large magnet on the ceiling above the door. This was obviously how the crates and speeders were loaded onto the ship. At least the bay came with its own repair table and droid.

The engineering room was at the back of the ship and to the right were two rooms that were side by side: crew quarters and the facilities/laundry room. The door slid open to the laundry room. On the right wall of the laundry room were two doors. The closest one opened to the toilets. There were three stalls and two sinks. The further door opened to the shower, it was circular and allowed 4 people to shower with a modicum of privacy. On the far wall were cabinets likely full of towels and toiletries.

The crew quarters held four beds, two desks and two armoires. The beds were fully enclosed captain bunks. With a ladder between the two sets of bunks. Each bed was lighted, had storages compartments on three sides, two drawers beneath the bed and a door that could be pulled down from the top to completely close off the bed for privacy. Likely soundproof with the doors closed. So long as they weren't claustrophobic, any crew members he picked up would be thankful for the privacy. If he had more than three more people on the ship, however, he would have to consider rearranging somethings on the ship to add more beds. But that was thinking ahead.

To the right of the airlock, there was a small lift where 2VR8 seemed to like to be. Taking the lift down, he found two escape pods, the ship's battery, storage, water recycler and other things he knew nothing about. But he saw three droids scuttling around and was thankful they were taking care of making sure the ship ran efficiently.

Further down, the hall opened up into a large command/commons area, which held long-range comms, computer stations and even a couple of small gaming/entertainment tables surrounded by chairs. Talk about mixing your business with pleasure.

To either side of the main hall he'd just come through were two additional rooms. One was the medbay containing two beds, a terminal, a subversive Kolto tank and a few small diagnostic units that were a mystery to him. Hopefully, no more than two of them would be injured at one time. The room on the other side of the hall was the galley. It featured a large fridge, two stoves, storage cabinets and a long table seating three on each side and one at each end.

He found the bedroom he wanted at the front of the ship just before the bridge. Captain of his own ship. After years of hopping any vessel heading the direction he needed, this was a vast improvement. He put his clothing and weapons in the supply cabinet that was apparently meant to be used as an armoire. There was a tiny refresher along the back wall of his room. The door slid open to reveal a sink. To the left was a toilet and further to the left was a small shower stall.

Once he had himself sorted, he peeked in the bedroom across from his. In appearance, it was a mirror image of his. "What do you think?" he asked Annora who was just closing her armoire.

She shot him a bright smile as she walked towards him, her arms coming around his waist. "I suspect we will be sleeping in the same bed – but it is thoughtful of you to give me my own room. It will be nice to have my own personal space."

He chuckled and hugged her back. "I'm glad we think alike. Besides, if you didn't take that bedroom, I'd have had no reason not to offer it to Kaliyo."

She pulled back and patted his chest. "And you would have loved that."

He laughed and pulled back to take her hand. "Let's go see what provisions the galley has."

They met up with Kaliyo in the galley.

Kaliyo closed the fridge with a frown. "I've been through the cabinets and the fridge. I don't know who supplied us, but this isn't going to work. Imperial rations are nasty, and I lived on grubs and two-credit wine for a year." She waved her had at Neo. "They raise you on those things, no wonder you're a bunch of stiffs."

His stance stiffened and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Really, Kaliyo. I was not raised Imperial. I _work_ for the Imperials, but I was raised in the Chiss Ascendency. We do not do Imperial rations. We will purchase additional supplies before we leave."

"Good." Kaliyo studied the chiss mountain. "Yeah, you're blue...but you still got the accent."

"It pays to blend in," he stated simply.

"Ok. I get that. But here's what I don't get – you got a little brass, you got a little style…maybe you aren't totally one of them, but you still play Keeper's pet."

He raked a hand through his dark blue hair and sighed. "I'm a secret agent, Kaliyo. Nothing is ever quite as it seems."

"So, you're a liar."

"Pot-kettle and all that," he pointed out.

She chuckled at him. "Touche, Neo. Then we know where we stand with each other."

"It would seem that we do, Kaliyo" he agreed.

"So," Kaliyo said as her eyes rolled over to Annora. "Are you a liar too?"

"I can be if I need to," Annora said with a sardonic laugh. She was probably the biggest liar of all three of them.

"Right then. Sounds good." She headed for the door. "Just so you know, you're taking me with you when you make a run for supplies in the morning."

They followed her out of the galley and continued on to their bedrooms. "I'll join you shortly. I'm going to get ready for bed," Annora told him as she disappeared into her room. She took a quick shower, brushed her teeth and pulled on a robe before she settled on her bed with her legs crossed. She pulled out her communicator and commed Lorianna. When the holo lit up she could see the other woman was also on a bed, her hair mussed. "Sorry to wake you, I just wanted to check in. Time to myself has been hard to come by."

"No…I'm glad you commed." Lorianna tucked her messy hair behind her ears. "You should know, I'm on extended leave…or maybe an extended assignment. I'll still handle you – I'm afraid you're stuck with me for life. But for the unforeseeable future, my name is Anna Paulo and I'm a techie." She'd received a brief message about what happened on Hutta, but nothing about Dromund Kaas. "Catch me up on Dromund Kass."

She told her friend everything that happened to them on Dromund Kaas, relaying what the Eagle said was going to happen. "We don't know anything more at this time. I'll keep you updated. We've got a ship at our disposal now, we'll be departing Dromund Kaas tomorrow. As for Neronu…his eyes are starting to open. It's slow going, but he needs to be the catalyst of his own change. It is the only way he will ever _truly_ believe the truth about the Empire. It must come from within him."

"You know what you're doing. That is good enough for me," Lorianna told her. "I'll message you if I hear anything about the Eagle. Lorianna out."

With that out of the way, she joined Neo and fell into his waiting arms. Tomorrow, they would be leaving Dromund Kaas in search of a featherless bird. Tonight was for lovers.


	8. A StarWars Fable-Prologue Inquisitor

SWTOR

An Old Republic Tale

Prologue

Sorcerer – Broken Chains  
Korriban

(The Warrior story was written after this, but has been moved to Ch. 5 position because it should be read before this one.)

Vrok looked the other passengers over. He'd been kept separate from them during the journey aboard the starship. The troopers had reluctantly removed his slave collar before he was taken aboard the shuttle. He had smiled when he noticed the troopers kept a hand resting on their blasters. He knew that with his red skin, golden eyes, height and muscle that he was an imposing figure. They might not know it, but they were in no danger from him. In fact, their presence hardly mattered to him; he wanted off this ship. Korriban wasn't his choice, but he was here and he'd make the most of it.

Due to his ability with the force, he'd been moderately sedated and forced to wear a slave collar after he'd struck one of the pirates down when he was freed from carbonite over a decade and a half ago. He'd been a frightened boy of fifteen, facing pirates instead of palace guards. But even at such a tender age, he was already a larger than most his age and the pirates had put him to work – hard, physical labor.

He'd had to adapt to a whole new way of life, fifteen hundred years in a future he never should have known. He'd been struck from nobility to slave with the death of his father and his own carbonite prison. Both at the hands of his scheming little half-brother. A half-brother that would have long since rotted in his grave, as would his father, mother, uncle and older brother.

There was a thump against the hull, but the pilot assured them everything was fine and it was likely a bit of rock or debris. Not long after, shuttle rocked with turbulence as it entered the planet's atmosphere, tearing his thoughts away from a past long dead and buried. The only human female among them turned a light shade of pink when he caught her eye. The pink darkened when he returned her smile. Interesting. His head turned when he felt the heat of hard stare. Another, of the blood, like himself. A hood covered the pureblood's hair and forehead; some of his features were hidden in the shadows of his cowl but there was no mistaking the disdain and arrogance of his narrow red glare.

Vrok lifted a browridge and smirked. He'd once held such arrogant conviction too. Slavery had taught him many things, including humility and compassion. He would never again be what this cretin tried to be – what this place would try to mold him into being. He would do what he had to for survival, but he'd never forget the lessons he'd learned or the friends that died under the harsh yoke of slavery. One day…he would be in a place where he could make a difference. That was his solemn vow.

The female that blushed earlier talked softly with him. He'd learned her name was Kory and she'd come from a poor outerworld, laden with crashed ships from past wars, where she'd been nothing but a junk scrapper until she'd been turned over to the sith to be trained. Now, she'd come to Korriban to face her trials.

From what he could extrapolate from their small talk, the others spoke as if they'd previously been trained at another academy as well. Why then was he being sent directly here? As far as they knew, he had no formal sith training. They could not possibly have ascertained who he was, could they?

The shuttle shook again, though this time in the process of setting down on Korriban. When the shuttle door lifted, he allowed the others to exit ahead of him. Some were frightened, others moved with confidence, but there was an underlying nervousness to all of them. Interesting. He, alone, had no previous training at whatever institutions sith normally trained at. What training he'd been given had been by his father. A powerful sith lord. His mother and uncle, though not of the blood, had been prominent and wealthy sith lords. Even as a child, his power in the force had never been questioned.

Despite being sedated and collared, his power had grown with age. It was why they'd chosen now to sell him. He'd become an uncontrollable liability. A fully sedated slave had no use. Here, he had a use. He looked around at what had become his new home. The statues were not dissimilar to the statues found at his father's. But the desolate rust colored landscape left much to be desired.

He noted the others has assembled around a man. Perhaps the person in charge. By the man's movements, he appeared to be talking to them. No doubt, he would be reprimanded for not rushing to join them. Right now, however, he didn't care. He was just glad to stretch his muscles and be free of locked rooms.

Once the slave finally deigned to join the others, Harkun was surprised to see that the slave was a pureblood. And a very large one at that. But pureblood or not, he naught but a slave and not worthy of his attention.  
"Ah, the last one to arrive is finally here. I hope you don't think you are special. It would be a shame if freedom went to your head, or if you somehow got the idea you didn't need to pass your trials to become a sith." He eyed the rest of the group. He was not impressed with any of the lot. "I am Overseer Harkun and Lord Zash has tasked me with sorting through the refuse to find one worthy of being her apprentice, and I will enjoy the _sorting_.

The words droned on and Vrok turned his attention to the large storage unit that was leaning backwards against the wall next to them rather than standing upright. What was the purpose of- "

"Do you think you are too important to listen to me, slave?" Harkun lashed out.

He turned his head to focus on the Overseer. "I heard every word. Would you like me to repeat it?"

Harkun's gaze narrowed on the slave. "You are not worthy of repeating my words." He would not risk being shown up by a slave. "Now, the rest of you gutter trash already know your trial. Get going while I bring our slow and ignorant slave up to speed."

Kory leaned in towards Vrok. "Watch your back, friend. And don't worry. It'll be alright. He can't kill us all."

One corner of his lips rose in a lopsided grin. "That, I'll make sure of. Stay safe, Kory."

"Touching," Harkun sneered when the female degenerate departed. "Now, slave, for your trial. There's a hermit named Spindrall who lives in the tomb of Ajunta Pall, in the Valley of the Dark Lords. Spindrall's a lunatic, but Lord Zash sees him as some kind of prophet. Once you find him, he will test you."

He smiled and inclined his head to the Overseer. "Then it will be done."

Harkun frowned. If he didn't know better, he'd say the slave was educated. But that wasn't possible. "You know your trial – be gone with you, slave," he barked before turning to more important duties.

He lifted his arm and pressed the implant on his wrist, an implant that had never been discovered. His micro-tool holo popped on and synced with the planet's standard feed. He typed in Ajunta Pall's tomb and a navpoint appeared on a local map holo-display. Just what he needed.

He cut through the academy and moved down the steps to the rusty sands of Korriban. With each step he could feel the dust coating him as if to offer a protective layer. His lips twitched, wishing it could provide protection. Unlike the others, he had no weapon – not even a practice saber. Until he acquired a weapon of his own, he would have to rely on the force alone.

He glanced down at his map again and memorized the location before tapping his micro-tool off. He took another set of stairs that led underground. The stairs, themselves, were etched into the very ground they walked on. The catacomb was rather old, by the looks of the fallen rubble. He looked up at the ceiling, but it seemed sound enough.

He ran into looters, which were easily taken down by archs of lightning. He grabbed a blaster and snapped it to his magbelt. It wasn't much, but it was something.

As he progressed through the chambers, worm-like creatures tried to disabuse him of the idea of passing through or maybe they just thought he looked tasty. Regardless, they soon melted into steaming piles of goo that made his olfactory senses rebel in disgust.

There. Up ahead. That was the lair of Spindrall, the crazy hermit. So be it. He descended down into the lair. The stone stairs ended at a chamber obviously used for training. Half a dozen robed and hooded beings were using practice blades on training…statues? He had trained with live opponents not blocks of steel.

At the end of the chamber up a short stairwell was an alter with someone kneeling before it. Perhaps the hermit. He passed through the training acolytes, seemingly with disregard, though in truth he was very aware of them as he ascended the far stairs.

Coming up behind the kneeling man, he noticed there was no alter. It was a stone coffin the man knelt in front of. Interesting.

Spidrall rose, his pained knees popping with the effort, and turned to face the pureblood? He knew a slave would be coming but not that he was a pureblood. No matter, the slave was here for a reason. "Slave. Welcome to my humble hole. You are here for your trial, yes? Learn the ways of the sith from a doddering old man in a tomb? And hopefully to return to your master with the mark of my approval?"

He inclined his head to the old man. "As you say, my Lord, you are correct."

"Of course, I am. I know the ways of things on the surface. But before I answer either way – you must pass a trail of blood. Survive, and I will teach you what I know." He turned his back on the red giant and lowered slowly back down to his protesting knees.

He turned to look back down the stair at the others he'd passed on the way to the old man. All had stopped practicing. They were now meditating, awaiting his arrival. So be it. He slowly descended the stone steps and continued forward until he stood in the center of them all. When the first one lifted his weapon, Vrok threw both of his arms out. The six men rose into the air, grabbing at their throats as he slowly tightened his fists. When they went limp, he dropped them to the stone. He had not wanted their deaths. And right now, he had no power base to enact change. He releases a slow breath. It was done.

Spindrall had felt the power, followed by the deaths in the force. He rose and turned to face the advancing pureblood. "These former acolytes wanted nothing more than to earn their second chance for glory by killing you and taking their place. But your desire proved stronger. Their blood became the mantle of your victory. Well done – but you are not sith yet. Do you know the sith code?"

"Of course." Vrok doubted it had changed over the last 1500 years. Regardless whether he still believed it, he would always remember it and what it stood for. He repeated the sith code as he had learned it.

Spindrall tilted his head. The words were similar, yet something felt a bit off about them. The inflection? The way some of the words were pronounced? No matter, they were true enough. This one before him bore watching. The power he felt in the pureblood was unlike anything he'd felt before in his long years. "Return to Harkun and nurture your hatred of him to grow stronger. He may raise his fist to strike, but it is Lord Zash who determines where the blow will land."

"You know them?" he enquired.

"Both of them have been through here in my time, and they have gone their separate paths since." What was it about this pureblood that seemed off? Was it just the power within him or something else? Bah. He was too tired to think on it anymore. "You have power unparalleled in my life. When the time comes, make sure you use it. Now go. Leave me to my rest." Once more he turned away and sank down to his knees with a barely concealed groan.

On the way out, he was accosted by another group of thieves. This time, one of them had an electro-blade. Close enough to a practice saber to serve the purpose of one.

When he exited the tomb, his boots sank into the rusty sand. One of the slaves he'd once worked with, a twi'lek by the name of Tinnek, once told him to always find the gold in everything that happened – even if you had to dig to find it. It was a code he chose to live by. There was gold in the rust-colored sand – it was not harsh on the soles of his boots like the rock on the last asteroid he was forced to mine. There was gold on Korriban. No collar and no sedation. He was nearly as free now as he had been as a child. Gold could be found anywhere, if you cared enough to look.

He shook his head to clear the cobwebs of the past when he heard arguing. It wasn't heated, but he could tell the smaller woman, a twi'lek wearing a slave collar, was trying to get a point across to the sith woman she was following. The gap closed between them. As they hurried past, he made a slight motion and a large stone swept into the path of the sith, she tripped, her arms flailing about in a comedic fashion. With a quick point of his finger, he sent a small bolt of electricity into the slave's collar, shorting it out. The twi'lek winked at him and mouthed, 'thank you' to him as she hurried on by, asking her master if she was okay. He grinned. That felt good. He suspected there wouldn't be many things that felt good in his foreseeable future.

Once he re-entered the sith academy, he'd had to ask around to find out where his quarters were. He was bunked with five other males, none of them in his group sith hopefuls. None were outright hostile to him, but nor did any offer a hand in friendship. He supposed he could not fault them for that. He doubted sith were capable of even making real friends. It took a hard fall for him to understand what having a friend truly meant. From what he'd seen thus far, sith from this time were the same as the sith that ruled his time. How was it truly possible that things hadn't changed in so long a time? Change was inevitable. That was interesting. And concerning.

Not long after, he enjoyed a hot shower. As the droplets struck his skin, he groaned. This was something he had not felt for a great many years. Slaves were not worthy of wasting water on. Instead, they were chuted through to decontamination rooms. Many didn't even bother removing their clothing. He, however, had always removed his clothing and held them out, so that both he and his clothing could be thoroughly decontaminated. But this…water was a luxury he had not had since he was a child.

When he was clean enough, he pulled his clothing in and scrubbed them. He had yet to find something else to wear. Nor had he killed anyone his size to use there clothing or armor. So, for now, he was left with keeping his own clothing clean. He had to admit that he missed the noble clothing he used to wear and longed to wear the soft, silky fabrics against his skin once more. That was something that would certainly be rectified at first chance. Once he got his hands on a credit chip card – one with enough of a balance that he could purchase what he needed.

He closed his eyes as he wrung out his wet clothing. He should have gone through the pockets of the tomb thieves, as distasteful as that thought was. However, it was far too late for such a consideration; someone else would have picked them over before now. But the lesson had been learned. He would do better next time.

He threw the damp clothing over his shoulder and tightened the towel around his waist before heading back to his room. He received several admiring glances in passing and one man even came to a complete halt to look him over. His frown was more than enough to send the man scurrying on his way. There was nothing the human could have offered that he had interest in. He'd been raped repeatedly as a slave and when he was strong enough to fight back, they'd sedated him. No. No man would ever touch him again.

In his room, he laid out his damp clothing, grabbed the two weapons he'd stolen and settled down at a table to clean them. He was just finishing up cleaning them when the other came in, laughing and joking with each other. He couldn't even imagine doing such with anyone. Even as a child, he'd been raised separate from other children, taught that he was their better.

As a slave, he tried not to get too close to anyone. You never knew when they would die or be sold. Even so, he did meet a few friends here and there. If he had to choose one he missed the most, it would be Blip, an RE-1 unit he'd met out on CV-219, a mining asteroid and his last place of servitude. He supposed he felt safer making friends with a droid, they rarely died and were rarely sold.

He'd seen the little flighty droid from his first day on the asteroid. He was the pirate's eyes and ears and message runner, when need be. He could go down into unsafe areas to keep an eye on the slaves. A few days after arrival, as small rock fall had trapped one of the little droid's legs and it could not get out. After he'd freed the little guy, he'd noticed the droid's scomp link in his leg, along with an actuator had been damaged.

Electronic repair was something he'd learned when he lived with his mother and uncle. He picked the two-legged droid up and retreated the work bench station. There were no weapons there, but there were some tools that could be used to repair the tools they needed to break the rock. He'd managed to repair the droid's leg and, in the process, made a devout friend.

The droid would often search him out after that to talk to him. He eventually came to trust the droid and named him Blip after a sound he made when he was excited. As time went along, he managed to scrounge up the parts needed to make further upgrades to his little friend. He'd even removed Blip's restraining bolt the day before he was heavily sedated and taken aboard a shuttle to be sold. He could only hope, for Blip's sake, that it was never discovered.

"A blaster?" Laiton jabbed Alto in the ribs when he saw the blaster on the table. "I don't think I've ever seen a sith deign to carry a blaster. Guess Red is making sure he can find work when he fails his trials."

He lowered the electroblade down onto the table and turned his head to the side to see that human thought himself witty. He lifted a hand, pointed a finger at the man and raised it. He turned it 180 degrees and then twirled it. The man, hanging upside down in the air was spinning around, the contents of his pockets raining down on the floor beneath him.

The moment he cut the flow of power, the human dropped into heap onto the floor amidst his belongings and the laughter of the others. He may have made an enemy of that human, but the others had been impressed with his ability to wield the force.

Ackles wiped the tears from his eyes, "You've got to teach me that, Red!" He just then noticed how much of the pureblood was on display. "After you are dressed, of course."

That simple gesture had changed the dynamics of his bunk-mates. They respected his abilities and stopped treating him as a joke. Even the human he'd spun had ended up laughing over the experience. Their change towards him was tantamount to flipping on a light switch – not that there seemed to be many of those left in this time.

Not once did he ever make the mistake of thinking any of them were his friends but it did make living with them easier.

The following morning, after his breakfast, physicardio and shower, he sought out the overseer to let him know that he'd passed his first trial. Though, he supposed, Harkun already knew. He was given directions by someone he'd stopped to ask and grinned. What new insults would the overseer come up with today? He could see through the doorway that the other hopefuls, Niloc, Kory, Gerr, Ffon, Wydr and Balek had arrived before him. So, he was last again. No doubt, Harkun would have something to say about that as well.

Harkun grunted when he saw the slave walk through the door. "Ah, the last one. Always the latecomer. Now we can see what the hermit thinks of you slime," he said referring the group at large. "Acolyte Kory. Step forward please." His eyes narrowed on her when she did as she was asked. "You are a weak, pathetic rodent and even a lunatic like Spindrall can see this, and that means -" Lightening leapt from his fingertips and her body convulsed. His smile widened as her body fell to the floor. "Now, meet our newcomer – Ffon Althe. This is real sith strength, and he will tear you apart and crush your bones." He lifted a hand towards Ffon. "Look at him! No connections left in the world, but pure sith blood! This – this is Lord Zaxh's future apprentice! Not filth like you!"

Vrok forced a grin, trying to keep his anger at Kory's treatment at bay. It may have been the way of the sith – but he no longer considered himself sith. "I would imagine our pedigrees would show that I have far more pureblood coursing through my veins than your pet does."

Harkun's lip curled up in distaste. "You are nothing but a slave! You mean less than nothing! Step this way, slave. I want to speak to you privately. The rest of you – get out of here. You know your trials. You, too, Ffon. Spindrall awaits." It galled him that the crazy hermit had whispered in Zash's ear, gushing over this worthless slave.

After the others left, he turned his attention back to the slave. It also galled him that he had to look up at the filthy mountain. "Spindrall was a lunatic. His approval means nothing. You are filth and you will die. Is that clear?"

His lips twitched and spread into a grin, which seemed to anger the overseer even more. "As clear as the finest diamond."

"Good. Now, your second trial: Lord Zash has requested a special trial for you, which you will no doubt fail. Go to inquisitor Zyn in jails. He will fill you in on the details – and most likely, hasten your demise.

"I'm sure he will," Vrok replied with a grin. "But don't hold your breath, Harkun – or it won't be me that dies."

"Don't boast, slave!" Harkun growled. "Don't think red skin makes a filthy salve worthy of being called a sith! I don't want see you again until you are back from the jails. Now, get out of my sight!"

With that, he took his leave. It was odd they had a prison inside the sith academy. He would have thought it would have had its own building, but what did he know? He was a man out of time.

Zyn stopped pacing and came to a stand still with the red ex-slave entered the room. "Acolyte! You've arrived and no a moment too soon. Harkun has given me very specific instructions. You were raised as a slave but must discard those traits and learn to control others. And I have just the task for that end." He waved a hand to the acolyte that was strapped to a torture table. "Meet this driveling excuse for an acolyte. His name is Alif and he will be your victim. A short while ago, there was what we call an unauthorized murder here in the academy. A rivalry among apprentices resulted in death. Interrogate him. Make him tell you who committed this crime, at any cost."

He inclined his head at Zyn. "As you say."

Alif groaned when he saw the huge pureblood approach. This was not going to be fun. "Please don't hurt me. I don't know anything." This was not going to end well.

"So you say," Vrok responded, knowing the man was lying despite how terrified he was. "I am asking you to talk to me. This doesn't have to end in torture. I've been where you are and wouldn't wish it on anyone. Tell me the name I need to know, lest they call another less open minded than myself."

Alif couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not out of any sith's mouth, acolyte or not. He would never have spoke those words. Was this some kind of mind game? For some reason, it felt like the red mountain was being serious. "They really did pull you out of the slave pens like the Inquisitor said, didn't they? You aren't like any sith I've ever met. I'll tell you what I saw…but promise me that the murderer will get justice – that he won't come to kill me."

"I'll take care of it one way or the other," Vrok assured him.

Again, he felt sincerity. Sincerity from a sith. "I appreciate that. An apprentice named Esorr Kayin – I saw him murder that guy outside the library on the second floor." He blew out a harsh breath. "Listen, his master's incredibly powerful - he won't let Kayin be punished. Kayin _will_ kill me."

He'd seen too many slaves in a very similar position. He'd done what he could to help them and he could do no less for Alif. "One way or another, he will not." With that said, he returned to the Inquisitor Zyn.

Zyn held up his hand. "You don't have to tell me. I heard the name loud and clear. Though, I sorely wish I hadn't. Esorr Kayin." He shook his hsead. "Kayin's master is a Dark Council member…that is unfortunate. But not your concern. I will send my commendations to Overseer Harkun. You may return to him now."

Vrok pursed his lips to keep from smiling. He could feel the weakness in the Inquisitor. "The acolyte will need protection."

Zyn shook his head. While the acolyte's methods bore fruit, a gentle touch would get him killed. "That is not your affair. I suggest you eliminate your compassion and forget about this acolyte before it gets you killed," he warned the young one.

"You would let fear stand in your way? Are you a man to be taken seriously or not?" It would seem he would need to point out the obvious. "Keeping him alive, by getting him off planet, ensures a future debt the acolyte owes you."

Zyn rubbed his chin. The acolyte did have a point. In fact, it was down right diabolical. He nodded his head. "Getting him off planet is no simple matter – but I have a Darth on Dromund Kaas who owes me a favor. I'll make sure she takes this fool as her apprentice. He'll be out of Kayin's reach, but from there on, he's on his own. And I expect his debt to be repaid when I call upon him. You know, you have a most unusual approach, acolyte. Watch it doesn't get you into trouble," he warned.

He inclined his head to the Inquisitor and returned to Alif's side. "Remember what happened here," he said murmured in a low tone. "There are many paths to solving a problem and they do not all have to end in violence and cruelty."

With that, he quit the chamber and returned to the Overseer. A look through the door as he approached let him know the other acolytes were already there. It would certainly be nice if someone notified him when they were supposed to meet up. It would seem everyone was informed but him.

How unfortunate, the slave persisted. "Well, well, well. I had been looking forward to cutting another one of you down, but it looks like I'll be spared the trouble. Unsurprisingly, Niloc has gone missing. Also unsurprisingly, Ffon has passed his first trial. It's only a matter of time before he tramples you all underfoot."

Ffon growled at the smirk on the slave's face. "I'll tear you apart where you stand, slave!"

Harkun held up a hand. "Patience, Ffon. An accident in the tombs is more convincing. Now, the lot of you know your next task – go. I want to speak to Ffon and our latecomer." He watched the others leave for a moment and then looked at the two purebloods. He suspected it would all come down to these two, though it galled him to admit it.

"Now, slave – Zyn says you handled yourself expertly and as much as I find this difficult to believe, Lord Zash is satisfied with his evaluation. Undoubtedly. Zyn helped you in some way – but you will not have his help on your next trial. Both you and Ffon will have trials of intellect – trials that test your ability to apply your understanding of the Force to solve problems."

"You don't expect a slave to be a match for me in intellect!" Ffon scoffed. "I've been trained under the greatest teachers. I -"

"Calm down, Ffon. I certainly do not expect this slave to be a match for you. That's why you will have separate trials."

Vrok smiled. He had been trained under the best teachers as well, from the time he could walk. For now, he kept his mouth shut.

"Ffon, you will go to the library on the second floor of the academy and translate the following texts for Lord Zash."

Ffon inclined his head to the Overseer. "Yes, overseer."

"Slave, deep in the ancient, monster-infested tomb of Marka Ragnos, there is a holocron filled with dark secrets and encased in a great stone monument. No one has figured out how to release the holocron from its stone prison in over a thousand years. You will bring this holocron to me, or you will die."

Vrok smirked at the humor of the two given trials. "Hmm…translating, 'Kash iezkonas azinimas tu aras sophic; kash vazdosumas anas tu zinot gautijas zhol—tu aras zo zioplys', or facing uncertain death. Still, I choose death to childrens' studies."

What the hell was that nonsense? And since when did children read ancient sith manuscripts? "Spoken like the idiot you are," Harkun scoffed. "You will bring back the holocron or hope that the spirit of Marka Ragnos himself returns to end your miserable existence. Now go!" Untrained, no-account slave going straight into his trials. What was Zash doing! It infuriated him that he could not balk her on this.

He laughed as he left the overseer's office, not caring one iota if it irritated the overseer as it had irritated the pirates that had dared enslave him. Idiot, was he? He'd merely quoted from a manuscript he'd studied as a child. 'In seeking knowledge, you are wise; in imagining that you have attained it—you are a fool. How was that deemed idiotic? Unless, perhaps, Harkun could not decipher what he'd said. That made him laugh even harder.

Slavery had taught him to laugh. Maybe at first, he used that reflex to stop himself from crying; but it had become a part of him. Smile and find the gold in any situation. Laugh at adversity. That was who he was now. This place of selfish greed and deception - it would not pull him back in to be what he had once been as a child. Life's lessons could not be unlearned. He would never fit into this world and its harsh reality again. One day, he would be in a position to evoke change. Until then, he would do as was needed to survive.

-BREAK ONE-

The meeting had not taken long, it was not yet time for a mid-day meal. Likely, he would have to forego such, as he doubted he would find much worth eating down in the dusty valley. Tomb worm did not appeal to him in the slightest.

Outside, the sun was harsh and the shadows welcome. He activated his micro-terminal and pulled up details on the tomb of Marka Ragnos. Much too far to reach by foot. At least the academy provided free transportation to its students who needed access to the Lower Wilds.

The skycar dropped him off further than he wanted and it would undoubtedly be late by the time he returned. As luck would have it, the tomb lay on the path straight ahead. Armed with an electro-blade and blaster, he set off in the direction of the tomb. He frowned at the red dust that was already coating his clothing. He could not wait to leave this place.

The sun was overhead, by the time he could make out the tomb in the distance. The walk had been uneventful. A lone predator had tried to attack him, but slamming into a rock had disabused it of idea of attacking again.

Once he entered the tomb, he pulled up his map again. The route would not be difficult to remember, it was literally, two left turns. As luck would have it, two young acolytes slipped from the darkened corners of the tomb and tried to ambush him – not that he had much to steal. A simple show of strength and one surrendered. The other chose to continue the fight. He could understand desperation, but not the greed that seemed to have taken control of the zabrak. "Don't do this," he told the deranged young man.

Without anything more than a growl from the zabrak, his hands curled and lightning shot out at Vrok. His own hands immediately lifted in defense. Electrical energy flowed from his own fingers, slamming into the other acolyte's power. He slowly forced out more power, hoping the acolyte would see reason and stop this insanity.

Vrok could only shake his head when his power overwhelmed the other acolyte. The Zabrak's body stiffened, his teeth snapping together with a harsh crack that reverberated through the chamber. He released the flow of power, but zabrak fell to the stone floor, his chest no longer raising. The other acolyte was long gone. With a frustrated exhale, he took the training saber from the body and continued deeper into the cavernous tomb.

Once he reached the holocron's chamber, he was attacked by several winged screechers. He surrounded them with the force's power and hurled them out through the chamber's entrance. They chose not to return.

With a nod of satisfaction, he turned to study the simple chamber. Large lights lit up the area. The holocron sat atop a large stone pyramid structure and metal rank wrapped around the pyramid, ending in a balcony overlooking it.

He hurried up the ramp and along the balcony until the holocron was just above eye level. Now what? He reached out to the glowing tip of the pyramid. It was cold to the touch, but hummed with power. There were etched scars from swords and lightsaber burn marks covering the lighted tip; evidence the sith have been trying to break open the housing for years. Blunt force would not work. No, there was some kind of power shielding it. And power could be disrupted. He lifted his hands and then lowered them. Surely that had been tried many times as well. But what else was there? So be it. He raised his hands once more, pure energy arched from his fingers and flowed into the encasement.

The light flickered and went out; the panels lowered to reveal the small, square holocron within. He reached between the panels and lifted out the holocron. There was a rumble and the power in the pyramid rebooted, the panels closing back up, the tip of the pyramid lit up once more.

He frowned when he realized he had nowhere to hide the holocron. It is what it is. He pulled at the neck of his tunic and dropped the holocron down inside. He tugged at the material, pulling it up from the belt, so that his tunic was looser. At least now, the holocron wasn't advertised so blatantly. Fighting had just become more awkward with it rolling around inside his tunic.

As he predicted, it was dark fall by the time he made it back to the academy. The overseer's office was locked, so he returned to his room. The others were already abed, so he locked the datacron in his locker, showered and washed his clothes and then crawled into bed, naked but clean.

Come morning, he rolled out of bed in all his naked glory and pulled on his clothing amongst the dramatic groans of his roommates as they quickly filed out of the room. He slipped the holocron back into his tunic and hurried out the door to find something to eat. There was no way he would have the energy for physicardio today. He'd missed two meals yesterday and his body required a vast amount of food.

He ate as quickly as he could and then headed straight for the overseer's office. But no was there. Interesting. He returned the holocron to his locker and hunted down the sith archives. Knowledge was power and he had 1500 years to make up for.

Every morning, for nearly a week, the overseer's office door was closed. During that time, he'd managed to locate another set of clothing that fit – more of less. He'd spent a lot of time in the archives, talked with a few of the Lords that were willing to talk with him and spent some time with his roommates. Naturally, he was curious about the delay. Was Harkun ill? He grinned – dead? Or did his _pet_ require more time for translations? No matter the reason, he was glad for the time.

This morning, however, by the time he made it to the overseer's office, Balek, Gerr, Ffon and Wydr were already there. Of course, they were. He tried not to think on how their group was getting smaller.

The overseer exhaled harshly. And again, the slave survived. "You better not be wasting my time, slave. If you don't have the holocron, you won't leave this room – alive." Harkun made sure every word dripped with disdain.

Vrok pulled the holocron out from within his clothing and wiped it against the front of his tunic before handing it over to Harkun.

Harkun frowned and grasped it gingerly between his fingers. He studied the holocron and knew the slave had actually managed to obtain the unobtainable. And that galled him. "Hmm…A fake, or stolen from the library. I'll deal with you later," he said as he set the holocron on the desk behind him. "Now – I believe we have another demonstration." From another weak acolyte. "Gerr, step forward."

Uncertain as to why he'd been called on, Gerr complied, hoping that his training would be acknowledged. "Yes, overseer."

"Ffon, kill him," Harkun told only acceptable acolyte.

Ffon grinned, even as the human turned to flee. He raised his hands. "With pleasure, overseer." Lightning sprang from his fingertips, stopping the young man's heart after only a few seconds.

"Very good," Harkun said to the pureblood. "Let Gerr be an example to you, Ffon destroyed him easily, like he will destroy all of you. Are there any other objections?"

Objection? What had he missed? Likely, it was of little importance, such as being assigned a harsh trial. "You should be so proud, Ffon, to kill a man whose back is to you. Truly impressive."

"Your comments are only hastening your death, slave," Harkun sneered. "Begone with the rest of you. Slave – stay here." Once they were gone, he frowned at the slave. "Don't start thinking you are clever for getting that holocron."

Vrok lifted a browridge. "I did not give the matter a thought. I did as was instructed," he pointed out.

"You are lucky Lord Zash finds you useful or you would already be dead. Instead, you are facing another trial." It was starting to look as though he'd have to take things into his own hands to ensure the rightful acolyte became Zash's apprentice. A tight smile formed on his lips. "The last, darkest secrets of Tulak Hord are buried in his tomb. Lord Zash wants this text. But the final resting place of the dead lord is not easily trespassed. You will not be the first to die there."

He inclined his head to the overseer. "I will retrieve the text."

"Do not come back here until you do! Get out of my sight, _slave_!" Harkun growled with a slash of his hand.

He descended the steps of the academy. Another hot, windless, dusty day on Korriban. Though, the windless descriptor was a blessing and a curse. It was so hot; a breeze would have been nice. However, were there one, he'd be eating as much sand as wearing it.

By now, with all his fresh studies in the archives, he knew exactly where Tulak Hord's tomb was. Near enough to walk in about three-quarters of an hour.

Cooler air, though dry and stale, welcomed him as he descended the steps into the tomb. Like all powerful sith, it was massive in scope. He'd been through his parents' tombs many times over. His father had even started the construction of a tomb for him, even if he was a child. His father had seen in him a future as a great Lord or Darth. He shook his head and barked out a tight laugh. He wondered what any of his family would think of him now. Especially, if they were privy to his thoughts. They'd be rolling over in their dusty tombs. His family was long dead, but he'd had years to mourn them. But for his half-brother. He would ever rejoice over his death.

The path through the tomb was linear, though not in a straight line. The path finally met a "T" junction at a central chamber. For now, his destination lay on the right. The path ended in a large chamber, crumbling and broken pottery that had once held offerings or perhaps even items of sentiment that he wished buried with him lay scattered across the stone floor. But there was one item that still stood. A massive stone tablet. The tablet was cracked, but in one piece. He pulled out the datapad he'd 'found' during the week he'd had off and scanned the massive tablet.

The other tablets, according to the archives lay down the path he had not chosen first. A path that led out of the central tomb and into the dusty remains of an ancient atrium. Additional sections of the extensive tomb opened up off the center atrium. Screechers – no, shyracks swarmed out from somewhere behind the tablet. He reached out with the force, grabbed one, and propelled it towards him, impaling it on his lightsaber. He'd considered strangling them all, but his lightsaber was already out. Whipping it about, it hummed through the air as he struck down each of the shyracks that attacked. The one that remained in the shadows, he allowed it to survive.

He returned to the central chamber that "T"d off and continued down the left-side path. From what he'd read, there were three tablets that combined would give Lord Zash what she required.

He'd fought through a great many droids that had attacked him on sight, once he'd reached the atrium. It was a senseless waste, but he could not allow their protective programming to keep him from accessing the additional sections of the tomb.

He made a copy of the second tablet in Tulak Hord's Archive Vault, after taking care of a few more droids. That left the third tablet, housed in the Machine Vault. He frowned as eh exited the Archives. Repair droids were already working on the downed guardian droids. He lengthened his stride to reach the next vault.

Once inside, he met with no resistance. Even the shyracks flew away at his approach. Had they somehow heard the death cries of their brethren? He laughed at his question. There was no 100% sure of ever knowing that. But he was a man driven to know and understand everything, A goal that would ever be impossible to obtain. But that was as it should be. Even as a child, he's spent as much time in his parents' archives as he had training.

He made a copy of the text and turned to see a droid shuddering as if his system was being overloaded by an electrical charge. He put the datapad away and studied the chamber, but he could not see anything that would have damaged the droid.

The droid collapsed with a clank onto the stone floor. The burnt smell told its own tale. "It looks like someone opted not to see a repair droid." Which was fine with him. He had no way to _sense_ a droid in the force, since it was not a living being. That had given the droid a drop on him. If it hadn't malfunctioned, he might have been -" he felt a tug at his lower robe, but nothing was there. He heard a familiar wheedle a moment before an old friend popped into view. "Blip!"

He could not have been more surprised if his father had returned from the dead. His legs gave and settled on the ground. Blip warbled and jumped into his lap, his legs moving back and forth excitably. "How did you get here, old friend?"

Blip made a warble-blip noise. "I've watched over you since the pirates took you to be sold." He nodded his head up and down. "I had to hide in the academy, but I was there." His head turned back and forth, then cocked to the side as he listened intently but heard nothing alarming. "This is the first time you have been completely alone. How could I leave someone who gave me both a vocabulator and stealth-cloak _and_ remove my restraining bolt? When you freed me, I activated loyalty protocols immediately; they cannot be deactivated, master – even if my memory was wiped." Blip shuddered at the prospect.

"I won't let anyone wipe your memory, Blip," he assured the RE-1 unit. "And don't ever call me 'master' again. I'm Vrok, your friend. I do not _own_ you. I am no one's master."

Blip had been as much a slave as Vrok had been and would accept his master's terms even if it went against standard droid protocol. "I will accept your wishes…Vrok."

He rubbed the top of the droid's head and shooed him off so that he could rise. He then motioned for the droid, who quickly climbed up his clothing, rested one foot on his shoulder and peeked over the top of it before activating the stealth sensors once more. "It is good to have you with me again, Blip. There is no one I trust more than you," he told the droid as he headed towards the Machine Vault's exit.

They passed through the atrium, skirting the droids that were being repaired and re-entered the main tomb. They took care of a few tomb raiders and a handful of failed acolytes that were hiding out and earned some pilfered credits in the process.

He glanced at his micro-terminal as he entered the academy. Mid-afternoon. It would give him plenty of time to check back with Harkun before evening meal was served. On the way to Harkun's office a blonde sith woman was coming from the vicinity of Harkun's office. She was too old to be an acolyte or even an apprentice. A lord then?

Zash looked at the large pureblood. This had to be the slave she'd heard so much about because it certainly wasn't the much smaller, weaselly Ffon Harkun was pushing on her. "You – slave. No, Blood. Acolyte." She smiled. He was large. Strong. Handsome, for a pureblood. And most important, she could feel the power he radiated. Yes...he would do nicely. Harkun had assigned him the most difficult of the trials and he's succeeded magnificently. "You are the one who brought me this magnificent holocron from tomb of Marka Ragnos, yes?"

He inclined his head. "Yes, my lord. It was I that found the holocron."

Her smile widened. She was pleased that he was who she suspected he was. "Unbelievable, One thousand years, burie d in the tomb. Sith Lords passing it by. And then – the most unlikely person comes along. Tell me – how did you manage it?"

He shrugged. It had truly not been that difficult, saying that aloud would only sound arrogant. "I reasoned that since it was lit up with power, overloading that power would shut it down. Simply put, I shorted it out with a burst of lightning."

She blinked and then laughed with mirth. "such a simple solution – why did none of us think of that? We must have thought too deeply on it, believed too strongly that it could not be done." She lifted her brow in speculation. "Or, perhaps, we were simply not meant to open it." Could there be something more about this Blood acolyte than just his power? Perhaps, the force favored him. Perhaps, he had a destiny. She grinned. Perhaps, his destiny was to benefit her. "Your work so far – bringing back this holocron and now the text from Tulak Hord's tomb…it has me intrigued. _You _have me intrigued. I am watching your progress eagerly. I have high hopes for you, acolyte."

"Ha! Harkun would love that – in fact, he'd probably choke on it if he knew." He smiled at her. "Perhaps, I should tell him – that would be amusing to watch."

She laughed again. "I like you, acolyte. Perhaps one day we will watch that together. For now, Harkun is only there to weed out the weak. You are not weak. Beyond that, his opinion means nothing. Good luck, acolyte – and watch your back. Ffon will try to take what he wants. And that would be disappointing – Ffon doesn't make me laugh." Nor did he have the Blood's power. Ffon would be a poor consolation prize. She patted his shoulder as she passed him on her way out.

Interesting. It would appear the sith lord favored him. Ffon, however, did not concern him at all. He was an entitled brat and nothing more. If his brother had never frozen him in carbonite while he was back was turned, he'd have likely been a lot like Ffon.

As he neared the door, the only one of his acolyte group in the office was Ffon. Were the others late? Early? Or had they run? Or been killed by Ffon. But the truth had a way of hiding around sith. He doubted he'd ever find out.

Harkun looked up at the slave from his desk and grunted. "I was just about to send Ffon off. What delayed you, slave?"

He shrugged. "I ran into Lord Zash in the hall. We had an enjoyable conversation. It would appear, we lost track of time."

"Just like a slave to make up stories," Harkun scoffed. "Lord Zash would crush you like a gizka if you ever crossed her path. You're not worthy of her presence."

Vrok looked down at himself. "Considering I do not, indeed, look like a gizka – though I have seen a few red ones, I admit…then I suppose Lord Zash decided to the crushing at a later date." He tossed the datapad onto the desk. "The text you requested."

He glanced down briefly to ascertain that it was the text and then frowned. "No doubt it's been badly damaged," he sneered. "It's what we get for sending a careless lowlife to do a sith's job – isn't that right, Ffon?"

Ffon's lip curled up in frustration. "What are we waiting for, overseer? Why don't we kill this wretch now?"

"Because you aren't capable of such an endeavor," Vrok shot back.

Harkon rose from his chair. "You have a big mouth, slave, but no combat skills. I don't want to see you again until you've satisfied the Korriban instructors. The training facility is on the second floor of the Academy and is usually reserved for the Dark Lords and their apprentices." He slammed his palms down on the desk and leaned forward. "This is not a promotion, and you are not to speak to anyone except the training master when you are up there, understand? You are not fit for their presence."

Considering he'd been training up there nearly every day since his arrival and talked to quite a few in passing, Harkun's words were little more than hot air. "As you say."

There was something off about the slave from the beginning. He did not talk like an uneducated buffoon. He talked as though he were educated and that was a joke. Slaves were rarely educated beyond the job they'd been assigned. "Do not think mimicking your betters elevates your standing. You will never be anything more than an entertaining joke to them. No get out of here!"

On his way to the training room a noise in a nearby room caught his attention. It was Balek and Wydr. So the twins were still alive. He entered the room to greet them. "I had thought Ffon might have tried to kill you both," he admitted.

Wydr looked at his brother. "He did, Vrok. Or at least he threatened to if we did not find a way to kill you."

Balek glared at his brother. "Why did you have to go and tell him? Now, we can't get the jump on him!"

"One flaw in that plan. I've already seen you. For you to _get the jump on me_, as you so eloquently spoke, you would have had to attack before I knew you were there," he pointed out.

Balek shook his head. "I'm sorry man, I liked you. I really did."

"But Harkun made us a deal," Wydr explained. "We kill you and we go home. If we don't Ffon kills us."

"We can't beat Ffon," Balek added with a frown. "And we'll never be sith. At least this way, we can go home- alive."

Vrok silently looked from brother to brother. He did not want to kill two desperate young men afraid for their lives.

"I can assist," Blip told him in little more than a whisper.

Vrok nodded. "Do pardon, but your theory is fundamentally flawed. For you to leave _alive_ you would have to defeat me. I was assigned the deadliest trials of the group and yet here I am. So, tell me – do you believe you could defeat me?"

Balek and Wyrd and both of their shoulders slumped. "You may still get out of this debacle alive. I have a droid friend that will help you get onto the shuttle. Blip – explain your plan."

Blip appeared over his shoulders, causing the two men to jump back in surprise. "I will get the assistance of a laundry droid and acquire your traveling clothes. I will also alter your identichips so that it shows you are both merchants, so you will need to discard your practice sabers."

He felt Blip slide down his robe and knew the little droid was already on his way. "I wouldn't have you go unarmed." He unbuckled the holstered blaster and handed it Wydr. Then he did the same for his electro-blade. "I will place your practice sabers in the training room's weapon stands." When they handed him their blades, he tucked them under his arm. "Wait here for Blip to return. He will accompany you to the shuttle before he returns to me. Do as he instructs, and you will make it offworld.

"Thank you, Vrok. I never thought I'd say that to a Blood. You are nothing like Ffon."

"Unless this is a trap," Balek points out.

"Well, yeah. Unless it's a trap," Wydr agreed.

Vrok pursed his lips. "If I wanted you dead, I would simply kill you. However, I do not wish for your death. I would rather you return home and do what you will to make your home a better place to live. It is a far nicer way to return home than in a box, is it not? Now, wait here for my friend. I have an appointment to keep with a trainer." With that, he departed and did not look back.

When he entered the training room, he discovered no one was waiting for him. Interesting. So, his coming up here was nothing more than an ambush. He smiled. No matter. He would use it to his advantage.

-BREAK TWO-

For the next two weeks, he trained – though sparring would be more accurate. It wasn't because he needed the practice – not that practice wasn't important, but he'd never forgotten his teachings. His saber technique varied from what was currently being taught and the masters wanted him to share his technique with them, even as he learned newer moves. In doing this, he'd earned a certain level of respect from those that came to watch him or learn from him. When both sides had learned all they could, he was released back to Harkun with a glowing report.

When the filthy slave arrived, Harkun's lips drew into a small, tight smile. Ffon was about to be Lord Zash's apprentice. There was nothing this hulking pile of refuse could do that would stop that from happening. He was so pleased with the looming outcome that it didn't even bother him when he got Darth Regis' glowing recommendation over a lowly slave. "Well, well. Look who shows up at long last. Don't think that two weeks of training has changed anything. You know next to nothing. Sith train years – your two weeks is a pathetic joke."

He could feel Blip's hold tightening and knew the droid was angered by the overseer's words. Vrok grinned. "As you say, overseer."

Harkun paced back and forth in front of his desk. "I half expected to hear you'd crossed some dark lord upstairs and finally gotten yourself killed."

"Sorry to disappoint, overseer."

He pulled to a stop and glared at the slave. It certainly would have made it easier if he had died up there. That he survived the two acolytes and the dark lords was galling. "None of the others have shown up either. I assume they're dead by now – which means you and Ffon are the last two."

"That is an astute observation, overseer." This time Vrok didn't smile. He wanted Harkun to realize he actually was serious with that barb.

"I didn't ask your opinion, _slave_! Your final trial will be to retrieve an ancient map from the innermost chamber of Naga Sadow's tomb – which has never been breached in thousands of years. But before you get the map, you'll have to awaken an ancient assassin called a dashade that sleeps in the tomb. You cannot access the map without him, understand?"

Beautiful. A dashade. Not a creature to be taken lightly. "Of course."

"Good." Harkun replied. "Oh – and one more thing. You'll be competing with Ffon for this map. Whoever brings it back will be Lord Zash's apprentice. The other will die. And Ffon's already started." He grinned and crossed his arms over his chest. "My advice? Run, slave. Run."

Harkun's eyes widened when he saw Lord Zash enter his chamber. He cleared his throat. "Lord Zash…what are you doing here?"

Her spine stiffened at his impudence. "Overseer, are you implying that I – a lord of the sith – don't have the right to go where I please within the Academy of the Sith?"

His arms fell to his side. "No, of course not, Lord Zash," he said hastily.

"Good," she said with smile. "I saw the last acolyte arrinve. I wanted to see the hopefuls off on their final trial. Where's – um – what's his name…the small red one…Ffon?"

"He finished his trial early, so I sent him on rather than keeping him waiting for this -"

Zash lifted a brow. "Pity," she replied, cutting him off. "I just finished translating the wonderful text this acolyte brought from Tulak Hord's tomb and it's most illuminating. I don't know if the map can be retrieved without it."

Now the text made sense. It spoke of the dashade. How to entrap it and how to release it. But until now, he had not known how it related to his trial. "It can't," Vrok responded. "Now that I have discovered there is a dashade I must release in my trial; the text makes sense. It speaks of how the deshade was entrapped and how it could be released…among other things."

Her mouth fell open in a brief moment of shock and then a wide smile spread over her lips. Oh, this one could be useful. "I didn't realize you could read ancient sith! I could have used your assistance translating it. So, then you know how to open the door to the dashade?"

"I do," he responded with a nod.

"What?" Harkun exclaimed. "Ffon already left. You can't just -"

Zash smiled sweetly. "Can't what? Give one acolyte an unfair advantage over the other? Overseer, when has being sith ever been about being fair? And haven't you been doing just that all along? Giving Ffon lighter trials and Vrok the most dangerous?" she pointed out. "Did you think I wouldn't find out? No…fairness has nothing to do with anything, does it, overseer?"

"No, it doesn't, Lord Zash," Harkun grumbled, irritated that he could do nothing to gainsay the Dark Lord.

"Of course not. Now, my dear acolyte, remember that the dashade is a force-resistant assassin – I have reason to believe this one was placed in the tomb by Tulak Hord himself." She ran her hands down her robes to straighten a few pesky wrinkles. "I will return when both acolytes are back from the tomb. You," she narrowed her gaze on Harkun, "will not do anything further to affect the outcome of the trial. Understood?"

He inclined his head to her. "Yes, Lord Zash." The rage of her dismissal boiled in his veins, but there was nothing he could do about it.

She smiled sweetly once more. "Good. And good luck, acolyte." If things went as she'd hope, the large Blood would be her next apprentice. She patted his very hard, very large arm on her way out of the chamber.

"Get out of my sight, slave – before I kill you myself!" Harkun all but roared.

He smiled and gave the overseer a slight bow. "As you wish," he calmly and with little emotion. Once he left the academy, he remained vigilant. Ffon was out there waiting for him. "Be wary," he murmured to Blip. Ffon will ambush us. He won't be able to open the door to the dashade. All he can do is wait until I do or until attack sooner, hoping I have something on me that will open the way."

"Do you want me to zap him" Blip asked, bouncing up and down on Vrok's back with excitement.

"Only in self-defense, little friend. Ffon is mine to deal with," he replied. "But you are most welcome to _zap_ anything else that attacks us."

In the tomb, there were other acolytes standing around. Of course. Lord Zash would hardly be the only Dark Lord seeking an apprentice. He barely broke a sweat taking the attacking acolytes down.

After locating the rods in varying tomb chambers, he headed towards the dashade chamber as was described in the text he'd acquired for Zash.

As he entered the new passagway, he could see the dashade imprisoned in a field of power. But his _cell _was on a central pylon, surrounded by a field of electrical energy. Soon, they ran into more droids that protected the inner sanctum of the dashade's prison. He could swear he heard Blip's laughter as the small droid hopped atop his larger cousins to overload their circuits.

They skirted the narrow walkway that surrounded the dashade's prison sanctum until he was able to see that there was a bridge that extended to the central pylon that held the dashade captive within a field. Good. One less consideration. Prior to seeing that, he was uncertain how he would reach the creature.

Droids littered the path to the dashade. At least they did by the time that he and Blip got through with them. The last of the droids fell in an octagonal chamber that held the door leading to the imprisoned monster. Statues surrounded four alters that surrounded the room. He read the inscriptions on the walls behind the alters and discovered where he had to place the rods. Each alter had a slot that held a correspondingly runed rod topped with a crystal. He matched the rods to the alters, sliding them into place. When the last one was placed, a hum passed through the floor and the crystals lit up.

A small stone platform rose out of the central raised dais. An invitation, it would seem. Just as the text had foretold. "Blip – move to the edge of the room." When the droid did as he asked, he stepped up onto the center platform. Lightning shot out of the crystals, one at a time, multiplying the energy that was hitting him. Electricity slammed into his body, shooting down his arms and legs like ice in his veins. He focused on harnessing the onslaught, wrapping it into a ball within him. When he gained control of the current, he grinned.

He raised his arms to the locked door and released the pent-up energy, letting the crystals' energy pass through him to strike the door. He inhaled sharply when the crystals' power depleted and the door slid open.

Khem saw the door open and excitement shot through him. He'd waited too long for his master's return. His gaze narrowed on the red sith. This was not right! "ha! All the world conspires to mock me! HaHa! Tulak Hord! I waited for you. I did everything you said! And this is what you send to me? Ha!" He turned his head to get a better look at the Blood. "Fate is cruel to me, little one. But not as cruel as it is to you. You have made a terrible mistake."

"I think not," he replied calmly. "I am not the one speaking to a man who is not here."

"No! Ha! No, little one. I am not insane. The world mocks me, and I laugh with it."

"That is a healthy attitude," he admitted. "One I follow as well." Even so, the creature's words made little sense.

"I am Khem Val, servant of Tulak Hord, who was called Lord of Hate, Master of the Gathering Darkness, Dark Lord of the Sith. Together, Tuklak Hord and I devoured our enemies at the battles of Yn and Chabosh and brought the entire Dromund system to its knees. And now, I await his return."

"I am Vrok Acheron, acolyte of the sith academy, servant to none. I'm in search of a map that only you can get me to. I am also sorry to inform you that your master, Tulak Hord died quite some time ago."

Khem twisted in the field that held him. "Dead? My lord, why didn't you come for me? I would have died with you – no…I would have slain death itself!" he turned his heated gaze on the Blood. "As for you, you should not have come here. I hunger – and I will devour you!"

"Blip!" He shouted when he saw the struggling to break free of the force field that held him suspended. "Back away from me! Get off the bridge!" He barely heard the scrabble of his little metal feet, the dashade's bellow nearly drowned out everything. And then he charged.

The following battle was harder than he'd expected but not as difficult as it should have been for such a creature. Prison had done the dashade no service. That, however, worked to his advantage.

Khem dropped to one knee and gasped for breath. When the Blood backed off, he rose to his feet. The Blood had proven surprising, Cunning and powerful. Nothing would go his way this day. "Ha! Defeated! Defeated!" He lifted his head, looking up at the chamber's ceiling. "Why did you not come for me? Why have you allowed your servant to be reduced to this?" he demanded.

He ground his teeth together in impotent fury. "Fine, little one. In my great weakness, you have defeated me, so I must serve you – this is the law that binds me. But you are not my master."

"On that we can agree," he retorted. He had no desire to be anyone's master. "Wait - little one?" Vrok enquired as they walked along the bridge. "I dare say, you are not much larger than I, myself, am," he pointed out.

"True. Most of your kind is smaller…and weaker. But it is obvious I outweigh you," Khem fired back.

"You do, at that," Vrok acquiesced. "Might need to work on that," he teased.

The dashade stopped for a brief moment. "Ha! You are funny, little one," he said as he started following once more. "But someday, I will regain my strength. Today, I will not eat you."

"That would probably be the best for your stomach. I'm sure I'd be tough and gamey. Blip! Show yourself. Khem, this is my friend Blip," he said when the little RE-1 unit appeared. "I am not his master either. The only person I will ever master is myself."

"Don't eat me either," Blip told Khem, as he climbed up Vrok's robe. "I have too many sharp pieces and don't contain enough minerals to be a viable supplement."

Why would he eat a droid? That was absurd. "You are no more appealing that a rock, little Blip. I prefer to eat sith and jedi," Khem assured the droid. "This way, little one." He led them deeper into the chamber and slammed a weak point in the rock wall.

Together, he and Khem cleared the passages of nesting shyracks. But that wasn't all that awaited them. The chamber that contained the map also contained a large, spiky terentatek.

"This is going to be fun!" Khem growled as he charged the massive beast.

Working together, the two were able to bring the beast down. Afterwards, both stood tall, neither wanting to show the other how winded they were.

Khem motioned up to the dais at the top of the stairs. "Your map, master."

Vrok hissed in a sharp breath. "Thank you, Khem and do not call me that. Do not call me _master_, I am Vrok."

"You are a strange little sith," Khem stated with a shrug of his massive shoulders.

Vrok grinned. "Do tell. I have been on both sides, Khem. Both lord and servant. I will never enslave another or be called master again."

"And yet, here I am. Bound to you regardless," Khem grumbled. It was truly perplexing. A sith that did not want a servant and a servant that wanted no master – both bound together in a bond neither wanted.

"So it would seem. Perhaps, the reason will make itself known…in time." His gaze lifted to the swirling map of planets that was being projected. "Let's get this done."

Blip raced ahead of Vrok and Khem and hopped up onto the terminal. His jointed feet worked rapidly as he sliced in. "I need your datapad," he told Vrok.

Vrok put the datapad away once the map was downloaded. He could easily have done what Blip had done, but he knew his friend needed to feel useful. Afterall, he'd gone from a job that kept him busy to riding a shoulder.

Leaving the prison chamber was much quicker than arriving. But then, there was no one left to attack them. Even the droids remained inert. He wasn't sure when or if the repair droids would find them.

"My release was disappointing," Khem said with a last look at the prison that had held him for so many long years, "but I will not miss this place."

A being trap for hundreds of years only to be released to a different time. Where all he knew was long dead and buried. It was an all too familiar story. "We have more in common than you know. Perhaps one day I will tell you about it."

"Perhaps one day I will listen – if I don't eat you first."

They walked back to the academy in silence. He kept in stride with Khem. Every time the dashade slowed to walk behind as a servant would, he slowed his steps too. Khem said nothing, but did eventually catch on.

Khem was stunned by how different Korriban was from his time. "How things have changed. How long since my master's death?"

"Likely eight or nine thousand years. No records have been found," he told the dashade.

Khem said nothing more and that was understandable. There were a great many losses he had to face when he was thawed from carbonite. He could see Ffon and the overseer talking together in the office as he approached. He was surprised that Ffon had not ambushed him after he'd gathered the rods. But he doubted the other Blood would wait much longer.

Ffon waved his hands in frustration. "I told you, overseer, it cannot be done. I went into the tomb, I saw the dashade across the chasm, but I could not get to it."

Harkun's hands slapped down on his desk. "But the map! Lord Zash is adamant – she will not take an apprentice without the map!"

"And I told you – Lord Zash wants the impossible! No one is ever going to get that map!"

Vrok grinned. "Do you, perhaps, mean this map?" he asked as he waved the datapad in the air.

Harkun's eyes opened wide when the datapad displayed a brief holo-map before dimming. "The map! And – the dashade! G-get that monster out of here this instant! And give me the map!" he barked.

Ffon glared at the other Blood. "That's not possible! You wretch, you filth – you must have cheated somehow. How did you do it? How did you release the monster?"

Khem had heard enough. "I'm not a monster! I am Khem Val, servant of Tulak Hord, devourer of the rebels at Yn and Chabosh, consumer of the Dromund system." He moved towards the two other sith. "And I am hungry…"

Ffon took a step away from the monster. "R-right, You – you must have cheated – you must have! You'll pay for this!"

"Patience, Ffon!" Harkun snapped. "You will have your chance at this whelp – after you personally deliver this map to Lord Zash."

Vrok looked over at the dashade. "You can eat them or I will kill them, I will leave that choice to you, my friend."

"With pleasure," Khem growled as he took another step towards his dinner.

Zash had heard more than enough and quickly entered the room. "Keep your pet at bay for just a moment, acolyte. I would have a word with Ffon."

Relief flooded through Ffon. Her arrival could not have been better. "Lord Zash?"

"Where is my map?" she asked point blank.

Perhaps things would go his way after all. He held out the datapad. "Right here, Lord Zash."

Zash took the map from his hand and smiled as she glanced down at it. This is what she'd needed. Everything was perfect – except for one detail. "You found it for me, Ffon? How wonderful. I _know_ you wouldn't lie to me, would you, Ffon? Because it would be a shame for me to discover that you lied to me. Now, answer me - did you bring this map back from Naga Sagow's tomb?"

He nearly told her he had, but bit his tongue at the last moment. Something was off. There was a look in her eye that sent a shiver down Ffon's spine. "I-I-n-no. No, I didn't. I'm sorry, Lord Zash. I – I was not the one to retrieve it. No. I'm sorry."

Zash tore her gaze away from the greedy acolyte to seer Harkun with it. "Harkun, you idiot! What were you trying to prove? That you could outsmart me? That you knew better than me what kind of person I wanted for an apprentice?" She turned her fury on Ffon, lightning arching from her fingertips until long enough to ensure his death. She cut the current and the body dropped to the ground, unceremoniously.

"There's your pet, Harkun. Clean this mess up! Apprentice," she said, turning to the Blood with a smile. "meet me in my chambers upstairs."

He watched his new master leave. FFon hadn't died by his hand, but at least he would not be killing any more acolytes to advance his greed."

"I wanted to eat him," Khem grumbled.

"I suspect there will be plenty to eat soon enough." Such tended to be the life of a sith. His brows drew together when he saw the loss in the overseer's eyes. Perhaps, Ffon had meant more to Harkun than he knew. He sighed. "I'm not sorry to be alive, but I am sorry things turned out the way they did. While you made your feelings most obvious, I learned a lot from you." He'd learned a lot about the sith of today and that knowledge would protect him.

Harkun looked up at the Blood in surprise. "What?" He cleared his throat. "Well, I guess it is an overseer's job to – to – inspire his charges. Now…get going, slave. I mean…apprentice."

Vrok smiled after he turned around. Not because he'd made the overseer feel better. Never that. But because he'd saved a bridge from being burned. Harkun may well come in handy someday. And maybe, just maybe, he would think twice before treating someone else the way he'd treated him.

Once they were upstairs, an assistant pointed him to Lord Zash's office. It was getting late, but he thought it was in his best interest not to keep his new master waiting. Right now, the game must be played and that meant he needed her. But that wouldn't always be the case.

Her office was grander than the others he'd seen up until now in the academy. What looked to be training stations lined both walls leading up to a desk on a raised platform. It was evident the chamber was used for instruction purposes. Or, at least, had been at one time.

Zash looked up when she felt power moving closer to her. She smiled when the heavy foot tread proved it to be her new apprentice…and the dashade. From what she'd been able to find out, the beast was now bound to her apprentice. Perhaps it would prove useful as well. "Ah, my magnificent new apprentice. Congratulations are in order, I believe."

He inclined his head. "And so are thanks. I appreciate that you have given me this opportunity." He may not have been an apprentice through a sith academy in his previous life, but he knew apprentices were good for only one thing. To be used until they became a threat and then killed. Her sweet smiles and kind words did not once cause him to think their relationship would end any different. From what he'd seen, sith still play the same games – perhaps even more so than when he was young."

Her smile widened. "You've earned it, my apprentice." She could not have asked for a better apprentice. "Now, I was just looking over this astonishing map you brought back, and I can tell we have a lot of work ahead of us." She rose from her desk and walked around to its front, pulling a second lightsaber from her belt. "This is the lightsaber I had as an apprentice." She slowly turned it on her palm and then tossed it to him. "I want you to have it."

He smiled and flipped the blade on, running a few quick moves. "Nicely balanced," he said as he deactivated it and snapped it to his magbelt. "You honor me, Lord Zash."

She beamed a smile. "Excellent! I'm glad you like it. It has served me well." And will again in the future. For now, it was in the hands it needed to be in. It would all work out. It had to. "I know you have questions but we can't talk about tit here - too many unfriendly ears. You must meet me on Dromund Kaas. We'll talk more there."

"I will leave tomorrow on the next shuttle that goes out," he informed her.

"Good. Meet me in my chambers in the Citadel in Kaas City. Do you have a micro-terminal?" she asked.

"I do." He lifted his arm in her direction and felt the hum as her MT pinged his.

"There." She lowered her arm. "I have sent you the coordinates. We can speak more freely of the work ahead on Kaas City – without the fear of unfriendly ears." Her steps hurried from her office. She had a lot to do in very little time.

He glanced down at MT and saved the coordinates. He looked over at the dashade. Perhaps, they would see if there was a shuttle going out tonight. He doubted his roommates would want to sleep next to Khem. Not that he blamed them. "Let's get something to eat - something not alive and then see about transportation."

"I may yet eat you, little one," Khem groused, his hunger almost more than he could bear.

Ortosin stepped forward as the Blood stepped out of Lord Zash's office. The slave was a pureblood? No matter, he would do as he was bid. "Stop right there, slave. Darth Skotia has a message for you."

"It is most amusing that one must tear another down to feel better about themselves. Do you need a hug?" Vrok teased.

Ortosin's hand dropped down to the hilt of his lightsaber. "Don't think about touching me."

Vrok crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm waiting?"

Ortosin frowned. "For what?"

Vrok released a slow breath. "For the message." He grinned when the apprentice's face flushed a pleasing shade of red.

"Oh! You -" He bit back a growl when the monster just stared at him. "The message is this: You will not go to Dromund Kaas. Everything you've done here, everyone you dealt with – Lord Zash included – is insignificant. Darth Skotia has eyes and ears on Korriban. He knows what your master is up to and he is displeased to say the least. On Korriban, Lord Zash may have her way. But on Dromund Kaas, it's another story. So you see, you have to die."

"I do, do I?" He looked over at Khem. "Khem, what is it you do to Force users again?"

"I consume them and spit out their bones." He smiled.

He shuddered. Seeing a dashade smile was a daunting experience. Perhaps he would get used to it, given time. He glanced at the three humans in their way and then back at Khem. "Can you eat them quickly?" At the dashade's nod, he smiled.

Todd swallowed hard and took a step back. "Um, Ortosin – is that a dashade? Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

Ortosin drew his weapon. "Coward! Fight, you fool!" They had no choice; if they didn't kill the Blood and his monster, Darth Skotia would be displeased. That usually ended in a great deal of pain and possibly death. He'd rather take his chances here.

And so, a fool and his life were soon parted. He watched in fascination as a blue, tangible mist was pulled from the three men; a majority of it seeping from their mouths and ears, reaching out in lengthening tendrils towards Khem's open mouth. When the last of the energy slipped from the corpse, the dashade's teeth clacked together when his mouth shut.

Khem looked down at his master, though he admitted they were nearly eye to eye. "It was faster," he explained. "Unless, we have the time for me to devour them properly?" he asked hopefully.

"No – no. I need to eat too before we hunt down transportation off this dusty hellscape." Watching a dashade eat a corpse, human or otherwise, was not at the top of things he wished to see.

In the cantina, the other patrons gave them a wide berth. No matter, he was here to eat not make new friends. He ordered Khem several large, raw nerf steaks, while he, himself, enjoyed a couple of the cooked version. He was also surprised to discover that the dashade had a weakness for marble berries, a plump, round red fruit that he pierced with his claw and then popped into his mouth with evident relish.

Wiping the juice from his chin on the back of his hand, Khem glared at the Blood. "My will may be bound, but such bonds can be broken, and make no mistake – I will devour you."

"As you say," he nodded and stabbed another piece of steak into his mouth.

Why did the little sith never get angry? He did not scream. He did not howl with rage. He did not seethe and threaten death. He was no Tulak Hord. Still, his power was undeniable. Unfortunately, he would not be able to amuse himself by threatening the Blood, because the Blood refused to act like a normal sith. While he did find the sith's words amusing at times, all forms of amusement were not the same. He would have to find another way to goad his master. "You will see I'm kept properly fed, little sith or I will eat you."

Vrok studied the dashade and nodded absently as he considered all the death that was likely to be in his future. This was not the life he'd envisioned, but it was the life he had. "I suspect, by the tie we are done, you will have fed to excess."

Khem leaned forward, his forearms on the table, the table creaking under the weight. "My hunger is never slaked, and you are no Tulak Hord. But I will serve you faithfully, my m – Vrok Acheron, until I am free."

So, the dashade did know his name. Interesting. He wiped his mouth and set the cloth over his tray. "I do not ask for you to _serve_ me, only that you will be there for me - as I will be there for you until such a time as the bond is broken and you decide to leave."

The small droid nodded his head rapidly, though no one could see the movement. "I wondered if you would catch that," Blip said quietly. "Nothing gets by you."

"Would that it were, my friend," Vrok responded back just as quietly.

When they finally returned to his room, he was informed that he'd been moved to the apprentice section of the academy. Once he'd located his new room, he discovered that he did not share the small room with anyone else. Unfortunately, it had one bed and one sofa. Neither one of them would fit in the sofa and he had no desire to share a bed with Khem. Instead, he gathered what little he had. "Let's check the shuttle's schedule.

As luck would have it, a shuttle was scheduled to leave in little over an hour and a half.

-BREAK THREE-

The shuttle took them to a spaceport, where they boarded The Malcontent to Dromund Kaas. For the next number of days, Khem had to live on strictly normal food and that made him more surly than usual, even the dashade's dry humor vanished. The constant threats of eating him didn't bother Vrok. So long as the dashade was bound to him, he was more than safe. And if the bond broke? The dashade may be immune to direct force manipulation, such as imposing thoughts to manipulate his mind and body, etc...but he wasn't safe from hurled objects or weather created from the force's energy – nor was he immune to lightsaber attacks. Either way, Vrok could defend himself, were it to prove necessary.

Blip disappeared for hours on end. But the little RE-1 unit had the same drive to learn as much as possible, so it wouldn't have surprised him to learn the droid was slicing into the ship's databases and archives. He didn't ask Blip what he was doing. He did not need to. He knew the droid would come to him if he learned anything of importance.

Unlike Korriban, Blip didn't go into stealth mode anymore – at least not when they were all together. Vrok was no longer an acolyte and having his own droid simply didn't matter anymore. Blip had already made sure the proper ownership license was in place. In fact, if anything was to be questioned, it would be his own age. Not too many people walking around out there over 1500 years old. Up until now, his slave status allowed him to get around unscanned. He wasn't quite sure what would happen now.

As for Khem, whether he wanted it or not, the dashade was considered his slave and thus his responsibility. While some thought the creatures extinct, no dashade was allowed in Sith controlled space without being properly monitored – especially on Korriban or Drumond Kaas, each of which had a high sith count. The dashade was a threat and threats were either destroyed or controlled and used. So, everyone would assume Khem was his slave and disabusing that pretentious notion might make things difficult for both Khem and himself.

Entering Dromun Kaas' main entry hub, he came to a halt and frowned at the admittance terminals. The armed guards ensured no one entered without declaring themselves. "This is new. My identity and age may become an issue."

Blip cloaked and drew itself up higher on Vrok's shoulder. "I will see that you are approved, Vrok."

As Vrok approached one of the terminals, he could feel Blip moving lower down his robe. He heard the slightest whir sound as the droid extended its interfacing umbilicus. With a tug on his robe, he activated the scanner and declared the deshade and the RE-1 unit. The scan flashed green and his lips twitched as he hurried away from the scanner – not wanting to take any chances of a rescan.

He didn't get very far, when a human, trailed by two trandoshans swerved right into his path. He crossed his arms and refused to step aside. The man came to stop just before walking into him. Cyberentics covered much of the human's face.

Skeesk tilted his head as recognition set in. _"My Master! Isn't this the soft-skinned Blood – the toy of Zash, the golden-haired lord?" _

Skotia frowned. The trandoshan language grating on his ears. "Quiet, bodyguard. Save your hissing for your own kind." He turned his eye on the large Blood in front of him. He had not thought the slave would be larger than himself. But he refused to show how looking up to the slave bothered him. "As for you, slave, Darth Skotia is passing – best get out of his way."

Vrok lifted a browridge and grinned. "As you say. Vrok will allow himself to step aside so that Darth Skotia can pass by."

"You dare to mock Darth Skotia," the human growled.

"Not at all," Vrok smiled. "I have not been on Dromund Kaas before. I assumed, by your vernacular, that one must talk of oneself in the third person. So, I merely reciprocated."

His gaze narrowed on the Blood. The Blood did not conduct himself like a slave, nor did he speak like one. That, he found irritating. How dare a slave mimic his betters. "Give your master a message for me. My eye is on her and I know what she's trying to do here on Dromund Kaas. You and your master have gotten this far – but it ends here, slave. I alone have the key. Tell her that." He saw the Blood smile again and fury whipped through him. "Why are you smiling! Are you an idiot?" Yet how can an idiot control a dashade. When the dashade grinned, he could barely contain his shudder. Repulsive monster.

His smile widened. "Of course, who am I to disabuse your assumptions?"

The Darth's lip lifted in a snarl. "You and your master have no future on Dromund Kaas or in the Sith Order. Tell her that! Now, get out of my way!"

"As you say." Vrok stepped to the side and motioned with a slide of his hand for the Darth to pass by.

"Do you try to get under everyone's skin, little sith?" Not that Khem minded. It was amusing to watch for the most part.

"Only those that cannot see past their bloated egos. I do so enjoy playing with them," Vrok admitted.

"So, what you mean is pretty much everyone on Drumund Kaas?" Blip enquired.

Vrok laughed loud enough to draw attention as he hurried through the lobby. "I imagine I shall irritate a great many personages here. And if they attack, well then Khem will have a feast."

"Now that is something I'd enjoy, little sith. Make their blood boil, it tenderizes the meat," Khem informed him.

Ugh. He could have gone without knowing that. "Then, let us see what kind of trouble we can get into."

Once they exited the hub, he rented a taxi to take him to Sith Sanctum in Kaas City. The pitter patter of rain hit the taxi's roof. "It always rains on Dromund Kaas – or so I was told. It appears to be an accurate assessment." He peered out the window and frowned. From what he could see, there was scant utilitarian architecture surrounded by jungles. He wondered if it would take much for the jungles to reclaim this dank planet. One thing he did know for certain, this planet was steeped with the dark side of the force. He would need to be vigilant and not allow it to change him.

The Taxi settled on a covered pad outside of Kaas City. Great. Apparently, you can fly over the city, but you could not land within its boundaries. He looked out at the rain and shook his head. "This is going to be fun. Not the kind of shower I was looking forward to."

The rain was colder than expected and his pace quickened. He followed the locator beacon on his MT and frowned when it led him to another taxi droid. He laughed heartily. It would appear the joke was on him. By the time they exited the second taxi, the sun had come out and the rain had stopped. He wrung as much water as he could from his clothing and then proceeded towards the Sith Sanctum. He passes through a field he could not even see and discovered his hair and clothing were completely dry.

It was odd how such an insignificant thing, such as being wet, can make a person feel more vulnerable. Maybe it was the weight or the cling of clothing. The threat of water dripping down to obscure your vision. He did not have an answer for that. Now that he was dry once more, however, he felt at one with his strength and power.

His master's chamber was as cold, sparse and uninviting as any of the chambers she'd called her own. This was not the life he wanted. He approached her desk. "It would seem I met a friend of yours, bearing ill tidings and an ominous message of doom. His name was Darth Cyborg, or some such," he proclaimed with a dramatic wave of his hand.

She rose from her desk as a cold fury swept through her. "Damn, Skotia! What business has he, goi8ng behind my back, speaking to my apprentice!" She rounded the desk to stand next to her apprentice. "Trying to intimidate you, no doubt." She saw him grin and she returned the grin. "Which he failed to do; it seems." Her smile faded. "You need to take him seriously, apprentice. He's a wretched monster. More maching than man and dangerously powerful. Ever since I arrived on Dromund Kaas as an apprentice, he's made every effort to stand in my way."

"He if flesh," Khem stated as his claws curled in. "He can be killed."

She studied her apprentice for a moment. Large. Powerful. He would be able to do what she'd failed to do so far. Kill Skotia. "Ultimately, we cannot even begin the search for Tulak Hord's ancient power with Skotia's rattling breath on our necks."

"I suspect that you wish me to stop him from breathing," Vrok stated with a lift of his brow ridge. Despite the excuses he was sure that he was about to hear, his master had never taken care of Skotia herself. Which means she wasn't sure she could destroy the Darth. Why risk herself when she can risk someone expendable…like him. Typical sith strategy.

"Oh, I do," she replied with a warm smile. "Nobody will believe that a mere apprentice could defeat Skotia. It is impossible and that is why it will work." She nodded. "I have begun to piece together the puzzle for Darth Skotia's destruction – but some elements have yet to fall into place. Out in the jungle, a group of slaves recently revolted. They were working on a colossal statue that has since gone unfinished. I believe Skotia is hiding something of great importance near this statue. Get the archaeological plans to the area from one of the slaves and contact me by holocommunicator."

Khem growled softly. He did not like the witch. She was not worthy – she was full of lies and deceit and she smelled wrong. He took an aggressive step towards the witch. "This witch stinks of death. Give me the command and I will devour her!"

Vrock's hand shot out and gripped Khem's arm in warning. "We shall take our leave," he said with an incline of his head. As soon as they exited her chamber, he released his hold on the dashade. "There is a time and place for everything, Khem. For now, whether I like it or not, I have need of her."

"She is nothing but lies and deceit. It festers in her like an oily, writhing mass," Khem growled.

That was quite the lovely picture. "Thank you, Khem. I shall keep that in mind concerning my dealings with her. One day…I will no longer need her. We can both look forward to that." He was not one to kill his master for the sake of doing so. Violence was not his path of choice. But his suspicions were starting to mirror Khem's and he wondered what the endgame would be.

"You had better – or I will eat you too."

Vrok grinned. Sometimes he wondered if the dashade even meant those words. Perhaps he did and the honor bond was the only thing that kept him from attacking. Then again, perhaps he only repeated those words to try to get under his skin. "We need to find the apprentice quarters."

With help, he was able to locate the apprentice quarters and discovered he once again had the room to himself, well and Khem. This time, however, there were two beds. It would seem that Zash had prepared them for his and Khem's arrival. He was also handed a credit chip, with a stipend coming from his master. Perfect. It would allow him to save any money that he collected on his own.

He tossed the small bag of his possessions into the locker. "It's a little early for lunch, but we should grab something now." Some raw meat and a sandwich later, they were heading back out to the taxi.

"Don't kill anyone, if you can help it. It pleases me that the slaves have revolted and the Lords are unhappy," Vrok told them as they slid into the taxi.

"Slaves are not worthy opponents." Kem stated matter of fact. "They do not have the delicious scent of a force user, so are not worthy enough to eat either."

Vrok rubbed the bridge of his nose as the taxi lifted into the traffic. So, he smelled delicious, did he? "No licking – no tasting – no…breathing me in and no eating me, Khem."

Khem grinned. "Your power is very…mouthwatering."

"Khem," Vrok warned.

Khem's laugh was harsh and rusty. "I will not eat you today, little sith."

Blip spun his head around, tilting it to study the dashade. "You enjoy that too much."

"I do," Khem agreed with another grin.

The taxi dropped them off at Outpost Temest. The rain started coming down only a few minutes after they exited the taxi. Of course, it did. He pulled up the coordinates of the statue on his MT and began slogging through the dampening dirt, knowing soon his boots would be weighted down with mud. Lovely. They passed through two Imperial controlled check points and circumvented around the armed slaves between the two. As they went deeper into the slave-controlled area, a group of armed slaves literally ran into them as they ran blindly, looking over their shoulders. Before they could raise their blasters, he used the force to pluck the blasters from their hands and tossed them a few feet away with the wave of his hand. "I care nothing about your revolt. In fact, I applaud you for it. We're not here to hurt any of you – a fact you may wish to pass on. I'm only here to locate the statue monument's archeological plans.

Dren stepped forward. "Why do you want those?"

Vrok quirked a brow at the green twi'lek and shrugged. "To kill a Darth."

Dren's eyes widened. He would never understand the ways of the sith. "I created the blueprints." He untied the small leather tube at his waist. "If you really are going to kill a Darth – then it's my turn to applaud you." He handed the tube to the huge pureblood sith. "I can't believe I'm cooperating with a sith, but these are my blueprints." He gave the tube a jiggle.

He took the tube, pulled out the blueprints and glanced over them. "Perfect. Thank you. I will put them to good use."

"Then…you will let us go?" Dren asked hopefully.

He stiffened, feeling the approach of another force user. He'd never felt the force in such a way before. Still, his hand went for his blade and ignited it. "Go, with my gratitude. You were never in any danger from me." He spun, his ligtsaber ready to strike.

Dren rushed forward. "Don't hurt her! She's here to help us…" He took a fearful step back. "My lord."

He studied the Blood with eyes even more yellow than his own. She carried a green blade. There was no taint to her that he could sense. The hum of his lightsaber went silent as he flipped it off. "You are not sith."

Alorra kept her lightsaber at the ready. "No, I'm not. I am – or was…a jedi." He was not attacking her. She powered down her lightsaber, though kept it firmly in her hand. "And you are not attacking me."

"Nor are you attacking me, I might point out." That, too, he found strange. He was always taught the jedi were monstrous warmongers who killed everyone that disagreed with their ideology. Of course, he had never met one. Had that all been a lie to make their own behavior seem the lessor of the two evils?

She had met many sith, but never one like huge male in front of her. "Violence is always a last resort for a jedi. But it is the first resort for a sith – so why didn't you attack them to get what you wanted? Why haven't you attacked me – one you would deem enemy?"

"Much to Khem's disappointment," he said motioning with his thumb towards the dashade, "violence is a last resort for myself as well. It would seem that what I've been taught of jedi has been a lie," he admitted.

She motioned to the slaves. "The shuttle is this way. Please hurry." She turned to the surprising sith and held out her hand. "I am Alorra, working with Freedom Now. Come with us. You do not belong here any more than I do. There is a place for you among the jedi." She startled when she heard a shout.

"Go," he told her. "Get them off Dromund Kaas. I will distract the guards. It is enough to know that I would be accepted."

She hurried towards the shuttle, then spun around. "Who are you?"

"I'm Vrok Acheron. Ex son of a Lord, ex-slave – and if I cannot make a difference," he grinned, "ex-sith. Now, go!" He spun, lightning shooting from his fingers towards the jungle. "What do you expect me to do?" he growled at the Imperial soldiers. "I will not trample through the mud after your slaves. I will not do your jobs for you!"

"Y-yes, my lord. Right away, my lord!" Danart motioned with his hand. "This way, men! Do not let them get away!"

He laughed softly as the soldier splashed through the mud into the jungle.

"You should have let me eat the jedi," Khem grumbled.

"She played right into my plan, Khem. She financially hurt a great many people today. Not quite as satisfying as making their blood boil in person, but still amusing, nonetheless." It was more than that. But he knew Khem couldn't possibly understand how he felt about the sith.

"You are a strange, little sith," the dashade grumbled.

Blip warbled and blipped his approval, but remained silent. He knew exactly why Vrok had done what he'd done and even why he made light of it with the dashade.

He scanned the blueprints with his MT and sent them to Zash' frequency. He then pulled his communicator of his belt and activated it, pinging Lord Zash. Her holo appeared on the communicator. "I have the archaeological blueprints – there is a large chamber under the statue."

"I've got it!" she said in a cheery voice. "Let me see…ah, yes. You are right. How clever. I'd bet my complete collection of Naga Sadow's Yavin Four writings that you'll find what we're looking for in this chamber. You're looking for a tablet – it is a symbol of leadership of an obscure trandoshan cult -the lizards believe it was a gift from the deity, the Scorekeeper. Skotia stole the tablet and uses it to exert control over his trandoshan bodyguards."

Vrok nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I'll return the tablet to the trandoshans and destroy his immediate powerbase."

"Exactly, my clever apprentice! From what I know of Skotia, he'll have his apprentices guarding his base. I bet they have the keys to acquiring the trandoshan tablet. So, take care of them first," she told him before shutting down the channel.

"Command me and I will eat them," Khem replied eagerly.

"If they do not willingly hand over the keys, then you may do so." As much as it appalled him, the dashade did have to eat.

Their search near the statue led to a tunnel. It was their only prospect so far, so they ducked into the tunnel. The tunnel had been cut through rock and led to a bunker. He glanced over the blueprint once more, put it away and headed in. "Blip – go silent. Do what you can, but don't be seen."

Blip wiggled on Vrok's back as he cloaked himself. "This is going to be fun," he said quietly.

As soon as they entered the base, the alarms blared. They fought through the security and apprentices, while blip took off to disable the alarms. Blessedly soon, the room was quiet, though his ears still rang from the abuse.

Red-lighted cameras grew dark and Vrok grinned and waved at one of the cameras as he ran by. After they cleared out the passage, he held up three cards. "I believe these are the keys."

"I found the door that uses those keys," Blip's disembodied voice told them. He uncloaked. "Follow me!"

He led them to a thick metal door, with three small slots. He inserted the keys and the doors lights turned green. There was a whirring noise and the door slid up. "You were a great help, Blip!"

Ogathu spun around when he heard the door rise and powered on his lightsaber.

Khem was syphoning from the sith lord before the fight even started. The lord caught on quick and closed his mouth, but nothing could stop the onslaught. Khem's maw of serrated teeth open, blue tendrils of power slipping from the sith lord's nostrils and ears – even his ass. Vrok wondered if ass-power tasted as awful at it seemed. Not that he ever wanted to find out. It was obvious, if the power could not escape through the mouth, it would find alternative exits.

He turned away and saw the tablet sitting on a security table. But like all other security measures, Blip had ensured they were offline. He removed the stone tablet from the table and slid it into an interior robe pocket. It was a tight fit, but it would do.

He turned to look at Khem on their way out of the bunker. "Thank you for not properly eating a force user on Dromund Kaas. Fingers would point to us and we must avoid being exposed."

"You are feeding me. It is adequate for now. When it is not, I will eat you," Khem warned.

Vrok grinned. "You will try, my friend."

The trip back to the taxi was far easier. There were fewer slaves and he wondered if Alorra had come back for more. And the slaves they did pass, eyed them warily but did not attack.

He returned to the Sith Sanctum to retire for the night. Come morning, after breakfast, they went straight to Zash's office. "I've recovered the trandoshan relic," he informed her.

"Then we've both been successful. But the trandoshan bodyguards are only part of Skotia's defense. His greatest weakness is that he's mostly machine. The rogue Sith Lord Grathan is holding a cyborg expert named Dorotsech captive. He's developed a neutralizer for me, the kind that should destroy Skotia's cyborg elements. Find Dorotsech, get him to tell you where the neutralizer is and then silence him."

He nodded. "I will locate him."

She smiled sweetly. "With any luck, Skotia will soon be out of our way. And then we will be able to pursue Tulak Hord's lost power as we please."

Khem gnashed his teeth. "Ha! The power of Tulak Hord in the hands of a child. What a mockery."

This time, when they took a taxi, he made sure it got them as close to Grathan's as it could. There was a small outpost called The Wall. It was situated right in front of a bridge they needed to take to reach Grathan's grounds.

Three guards stood outside Grathan's compound wall. "Blip – I need you to locate a terminal and get me Dorotsech's location." He felt the droid climb down his robe. Once it was on its way, he approached the guards. "I am here to see…Lord Malfoy. He is visiting Lord Grathan and told me to ask for him by name when I arrived."

The guard looked down at his data pad. "I do not see any Lord Malfoy present today," he informed the Blood. I cannot let you in unless you are on the list. What is your name, my lord?"

"Lord Kallig." This was not an untruth. Upon his mother and uncle's death, he would have inherited the Kallig estate. He wondered if it still stood. One day, he would find out.

The guard scanned the list. "I'm sorry, my lord. But there is no Lord Kallig on my list. You will need to get your name cleared through Lord Grathan before I can allow you entrance to the compound."

Vrok rubbed the soft cartilage at the base of his chin that looked almost like a human's goatee. "That is most unfortunate news." He held his hands out and all three men lifted into the air, clutching at their necks. When they stilled, he lowered them gracefully to the ground. The men were not evil, they were simply trying to do their jobs. This was his guilt to bear. They quickly pulled the bodies into the bushes that lined the exterior wall.

Once past the gate, he drew little attention. Khem, on the other hand, drew every eye. He moved into the shadows, knowing the dashade would follow. A moment later, he felt the droid climb up his robes and his MT vibrated. He pulled up the details and smiled. "Dorotsech is nearby."

They left the shadows and rounded the closest building and slipped in through the door. The small building was empty. A large door that led to another room was locked, but it only took the press of a button to unlock it. They did not expect to be infiltrated. Now, if they could get in and out before the guards were found.

He approached the small, middle-aged human that rose form his pallet on the floor.

Dorotsech rose from his makeshift bed. "Please tell me Lord Zash sent you. Please. I can't stand it here any longer. I don't want to die!"

Vrok's browridges rose. "Why that is well and good. I have no wish to kill you. Are you the cyborg expert?

"Yes, yes, I am," he assured the huge Blood. "I have just what you need – just what Lord Zash wanted. My finest work yet – though I don't quite know what the use of it is."

"To fell a cyborg, my anxious friend. To do what it was meant to do," he explained.

"But that's just what I'm saying – I don't know how useful it will be. Lord Zash commissioned this weapon against cyborgs – thing is, most cyborgs are only ten percent machine. You need someone at least fifty percent for the neutralizer to do any real damage."

"I appreciate the warning, Dorotsech, but that sounds perfect for her needs."

He lifted his thin arms into the air. "Don't tell me anymore. I don't want to know. But it's yours. It's in the lab building, can't be missed. But Grathan wouldn't let me at the power cells I needed to power it. You'll need to steal those off his droids."

"Leave quickly and stay to the shadows. Draw as little attention as you can. If you are seen walk with a purpose and you will be able to make it out of the compound," Vrok instructed the frightened man.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will do as you say, my lord." He darted around the sith and his monster, eager to get away. Very far away.

-BREAK FOUR-

As they left Dorotsech's prison, four droids were approaching. He picked up a stone and threw it against a tree to the left. The four droids turned, without missing a beat, and headed for the tree, their rifles drawn. He shot a bolt, that slammed into the closest droid and arched out to strike the others.

When they were down, he released the energy and quickly removed the batteries from all four droids. They pulled the droids deeper into the shade of the tree. As luck would have it, his MT showed that the lab was in Grathan's estate on a lower level- and that was nearby. Up until his younger brother froze him in carbonite, he'd been known for his luck. Now, perhaps, it was coming back.

They hurried into the main estate building, with few guards giving them a second look. As far as the guards knew, they'd been cleared coming through front gate. Once inside, they barely missed two guards that turned a corner and were out of site. There presence might be challenged within these walls, so he intended to play it safe.

They took the lift down to second floor. He could see a number of guards, but none of them came forward to find out why they were here. All the better. They strolled straight through the massive room and down the hall on the opposite side. He turned right when the hall came to an end followed the path to the end chamber. This was where he needed to be.

"This place makes me uncomfortable," Khem stated when he stepped into the chamber.

A guardsman rushed forward. "Halt! You are not allowed in here." He swallowed hard when he saw the monster, his hands growing slick on his blaster. "Leave or you will be shot."

Vrok shook his head. "That is most unfortunate. For you see, I cannot leave until I have what I've come for. Either stand aside and live – or don't, and face another alternative."

Before the guard could tighten his ginger on the trigger, Vrok, ignited his lightsaber and drew it across the human's belly. The top half of his body slid to the side and landed on the floor next to its legs. A moment later, the legs gave out.

Those that ducked behind the computers and drew no weapons would survive. Those that fought, would not. When there was no one left willing to challenge him, he removed the device from the display and forced it as far into an inner pocket of his robe as he could get it. It was awkward, but at least it should allow him some mobility.

Alarms sounded in the building and he picked up his pace. He'd assumed it was because he'd left the researchers live, but he quickly realized it was the bounty hunters ahead of him, carting along a carbonite statue that had caused the stir. "Let's give them some assistance, shall we?" He ignited his lightsaber and jumped into the fray.

They fought side by side with the bounty hunters until they were far enough away from the compound that no one followed them further. Or perhaps there was none left to give chase. That did not sit well, but the deed was done. With an incline of his head to the bounty hunters, he watched them mount their speeders and take off. A speeder would have been nice about now. Instead, they returned to the taxi pad and Lord Zash.

Zash hurried towards her apprentice. "Not a moment too soon, apprentice. Tell me you have the prototype."

He looked at her flushed face, excitement written all over it. "I do."

"Fantastic. Magnificent. Perfect. Skotia is in his chambers now. Be ready – even the power you have over him, he will be a frightful sight. But remember, he stands between us and glory."

"As you say. I will go to his chambers and give the tablet to his bodyguards to release them from his service. Then I will use the prototype to disable his cybernetics. After which, I will kill him. Is that as you would have me do?"

"Exactly so! But be mindful – Skotia may be more machine than man. But he's no weakling in the force. Killing him _will_ be a challenge."

"I would expect nothing less from a Dark Council member."

She grinned. "Oh, I wish I could be there to see the contortions on Skotia's malformed face when you destroy him!" She ran her hands down her robes. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm due to make an appearance at a party in the Nexus Room cantina. Meet me there when you are done."

"We will join you as soon as we have eaten," he said with a slight bow as she all but sailed out of the room.

"Blip, can you locate Skotia's chamber?"

Blip hopped down from his robe perch and darted over to Zash's terminal at her desk. "Give me a moment – there. Got it. It is the left most room before you exit the Sanctum."

Vrok smiled and patted the top of the droid's head. "Perfect, my little friend. Let us see this done. Khem is hungry for Darth."

"You speak wisely, little sith. Darth before dinner. I am pleased."

They passed two guards as they entered the suite of rooms belonging to the Dark Lord.

Skeesk turned his head towards his master. "My master, the soft-skinned one, the toy of Zash approaches. What would you have us do, master?"

Skotia looked up from his seat at his desk and steepled his fingers, the tips repeatedly touching each other. "Nothing – yet. What makes this slave so bold as to enter my chambers? Tell me, slave, are you insane or do you have a death wish?"

"A deathwish, Dark Lord. Yours. I have been asked to kill you, and I hate to disappoint."

Laughter rumbled from Khem's throat. "I will enjoy this."

"Skeesk?" Skotia asked smoothly. "Kill them."

"Skeesk?" Vrok asked before the trandoshan could answer. He pulled the tablet from his robe. "With this tablet, I free you. Take your relic and go home."

"No!" Skeesk growled. "The mechanical one will pay for enslaving us!" He charged the Darth, his vibrosword arching towards the sith. His feet left the floor and the sword slipped from his hand when he rose up, the grip on his throat tightening.

Vrok grabbed the chair behind the Darth with his power and slammed it into the sith. The trandoshan fell to the floor, sucking breath through his damaged throat. He tossed the other trandoshan over to his friend and encapsulated them in a protection bubble.

"You will never be sith! You protect bodyguards that mean nothing. You subverted _my_ authority. You took _my_ slaves away from me. You attack _me_ – a Dark Lord of the Council. I will not suffer such impudence. You are going to suffer before you die," Skotia promised, his cybernetics glowing red with his power.

As Vrok ignited his lightsaber, Blip climbed around his robe and reached a leg in to activate the prototype device and Khem started draining the force from Skotia. When the little droid dropped to the floor and skittered to a safer position, Vrok truck with a force-drain of his own, even as his lightsaber countered the Darth's blade.

A red current washed through Skotia's cybernetics and Vrok was careful not to make physical contact with the metal. Still, the Darth fought on, deflecting both of their barrages with skillful turns of his lightsaber. Vrok studied the Darth's movements, learning the styles the human favored and using them against him. Skotia slowly gave ground, until his legs gave out when his cybernetics failed all together.

Skotia scooted backwards, dragging his body away from the Blood and the monster until he bumped the steps of his raised desk. "What is this? How…did…you…Zash! Zash! You've killed me…"

Vrok raised his browridges. "I fear your eyesight may be failing, for I look nothing like Zash."

He barely had the strength to shake his head. "Mindless…you don't know what Zash can do. She will kill you…just…" he wheezed. "Just like…she's…killed…meee…." The last word little more than a whisper as the last breath left the Darth's body.

"When that day comes – I'll be ready for her," stated fervently and then released the trandoshans. "I know pride demand you attack him – but it would only have led to your death. Take your tablet and go earn more points for your Scorekeeper. That is the best way to honor her."

Skeesk rolled his sore shoulder. "He speaks true. We must regain our honor."

Mesquin nodded. "You have our thanks, Blood. We will honor our Scorekeeper and the lives you saved."

He watched them leave. He could only assume the lives he saved was their own. With a shrug, he turned to leave but stilled when he heard a noise coming from a connected room. He approached the door, but it refused to open. "Blip…" The droid climbed down his robe and hopped onto the Darth's desk. Its umbilicus extended.

Blip hopped from one foot to the other in excitement. "Vrok – there is a jedi being held in there. No records…they don't appear to have gotten any information out of her. Give me another moment on that door."

Khem grinned. "I haven't eaten a jedi in a long time. It will be good."

He frowned at the dashade. "Skotia has her for a reason. He wanted something from her. That makes her intriguing and off the dinner menu."

"There! The door's open," Blip said as he jumped down from the desk and darted into the open door. "Oh. My…"

Vrok followed the droid in and stopped cold in his tracks. A woman was strapped to a table, her mouth gagged and her eyes bound. She was bruised and bloody. Machine arms whirled around her, slicing and electrocuting her. Her body convulsed, but no muffled screams could be heard. "Blip – stop this madness!"

But Blip was already hopping up on the console to deactivate the torture table.

The table's arms slid back into its base and the holobands released their hold. She lay there panting hard but saying nothing. "I'm not here to hurt you," he said softly as he approached the table. Her body stiffened and her head followed his approach despite her eyes being bound. "My name is Vrok. You are on Dromund Kaas. I killed Skotia, the man who did this to you. I'm going to unbind your eyes and mouth now. We need to get you to safety."

She didn't dare hope to believe anything she was told and certainly not by a sith. But right now, she didn't have the strength yet to fight. When her eyes were unbound, a blinding light assaulted her and she lifted her arm to shade her eyes. Wait. She was free. She rolled off the table and fell to her hands and knees, her breath coming in hard pants. Her head lifted and she glared at the red sith. She wanted to find her lightsaber, but she didn't dare look away from him. "What do you want from me?" she croaked in a dry voice.

Her long, brown braid had fallen over her shoulder. He knew she couldn't have much left in her, but she still stared defiantly at him. He respected that. "Is that how you treat everyone who deigns to rescue you?" he asked with a smile.

"You're a sith," she spit out.

He tapped his foot on the ground. "Yes…yes…And you are a jedi. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, would you care to go somewhere safe?" he asked her pointedly. "Before, I don't know…they catch us in a deceased Darth's room?"

"A sith cannot be trusted." But, really…what choice did she have? Maybe his kindness was a deception. But staying here or trying to escape on her own would lead to certain torture or death. Going with him would only lead to probable torture and death.

Blip darted over to her and scanned her. "I can see no broken bones, Vrok. We need to go, jedi. Vrok is honorable. He helped a jedi get slaves offworld yesterday. Please, jedi. We need to go."

While Blip was trying to talk her into complaisance, he'd located a cloak that appeared to have belonged to one of his apprentices, like a dead one, and what he thought might be her lightsaber.

He returned to her side and offered his hand. She refused and rose on shaky legs without assistance. He inclined his head to her. "Here," he said handing her the cloak. "Put it on and pull up the cowl." When she complied, he nodded. "You will blend in well enough. I believe this is yours," he said, holding out the lightsaber.

She looked down at his hand, shocked that he would arm her. She plucked it gingerly from his outstretched hand, making sure their fingers did not touch. For the barest moment she considered igniting it. A slow, cleansing breath slipped from her lips and she snapped it to her magbelt. Now was not the time. He was right, they needed to leave before more sith arrived. "I will go with you, sith."

"My name is Vrok," he chastised. "Not sith. It would please me if you used it." He turned away from her as Blip climbed up his robe. "Come then. I will take you to safe quarters and get you something to eat."

"I can't eat her?" Khem asked just to be sure of his master's wishes.

"No, Khem, you cannot eat her. But if we are attacked on the way to my quarters, you may eat the attackers," he informed the dashade.

She tried not to turn her head to stare at the monster that walked at their backs. She'd never seen anything quite like it. Was that a dashade? She'd heard they liked to eat force users. She was grateful the sith – Vrok, had told the creature he could not eat her. She did not yet have the energy to fight the monster.

Within the shadows of the cowl, she studied the path they'd taken. Not that it would help much, since she didn't know how she'd gotten to the Dark Lord's chamber. But it was something to do so that she did not feel completely helpless. She wondered if her parents or her master knew she was missing? Even if they did, they would never think to look on Dromund Kaas. She was truly at the - Vrok's mercy…at least for the moment. Regardless what the droid said, a sith could not be honorable. He had an angle, she just needed to discover what it was…before it was too late.

"Here," he said, motioning her through the door that slid open. "These are my quarters. You will be safe enough here, for now. There is a small refresher over there," he pointed to a door on the side of the room. "Take a shower. Khem – get some food for us from the kitchen. I'll hunt down some clean clothing for you. Blip will stay with you, should you need anything. We shall return shortly."

When they left his quarters, he was surprised Khem hadn't grumbled about having to get food, then again, the dashade was likely eager to get his claws on some raw meat. He went down to supply and approached the woman at the desk. "My master is acquiring a new female apprentice and demands she be garbed accordingly."

Sylvie looked up at the huge blood and nearly swallowed her gum. "Of – of course. Right away, my lord. What size is she?"

How would he know that? "Stand up." When she complied, he ran his gaze down her frame. "About two inches taller than you, larger breasts and not quite as thick in the middle."

She cleared her throat, trying not to show how insulting his words were. She looked through the shelving and pulled down three uniforms. She returned to the counter and laid them out for him. "Any of these should fit her. And only the best for you master," she said with a grin. Raping his credit chip would feel good after his insufferable words.

He looked them over and chose the uniform with the red under tunic. He hoped she'd appreciate the touch of color, rather than the all black uniforms. "Thank you," he said after he paid for his purchase. He lengthened his stride on the return trip to his quarters. It was getting late and he wanted to eat before he joined his master. It would not do at all for him to drool over the repast in the Nexus Room.

When he reached his room, they were already at the table eating. It appeared the dashade had not given her any problems. He tossed the packaged uniform on the desk chair, and placed the prototype device in the tip drawer of his chest before he settled at the table. "Your new clothing is on the chair; I hope it is an acceptable fit. Is your food adequate?" he asked as he tucked into his own plate.

The food was more bland than she was used to. But she hadn't had a solid meal in days and that alone made it taste like heaven. "I've not eaten much in days," she admitted. "So, it is a feast I'm grateful for." She'd already looked his room over. There were no torture devices or anything else that looked threatening. Odd, but she'd always imagined a sith's room would be filled with skulls and blood and black everywhere – like something out of a nightmare. "You room is more…normal than I thought it would be."

He choked the bite down and laughed. "Were you expecting corpses and blood alters?"

She grinned. Her lips pursed the moment she realized she was smiling at a sith like she would a friend. "Something like that," admitted, her cheeks flushing with color.

He looked around his room and nodded. "You are probably not too far off when it comes to maniacal sith. But for most, you will find the décor tends to be boring – utilitarian." He stroked the flexible cartilage on his chin. "I suspect most sith hide their true selves, displaying nothing of who they are in self-preservation."

She thought that over and nodded. "If you let someone know you then they might discover your weaknesses and exploit them."

"Precisely," he agreed.

"I don't understand. How can you live in a world like that?" she asked curiously. To always fear a so-called friend would stab you in the back.

He grinned and rose from the table. "Perhaps I will tell you one day. For now, Khem and I must go and attend my master. Blip will stay with you, should you need anything. We will be back when our business has been concluded."

"My name is Annri, by the way," she called out after him as the pair were leaving. He smiled back at her. this had become so surreal. Not the torture part – that's she'd been expecting. But the kindness of the red sith. It wasn't…right. He wasn't acting very sithy. Everything she thought she knew…She rubbed her temples and went to lay down so she could fall into a healing sleep.

"You risk much keeping the – her in your room," Khem told his master after they'd left the apprentice quarters.

He grinned. "Yes. And it is invigorating. I find I quite enjoy slapping sith in the face. Probably not as much as you enjoy eating them…but close enough."

They took a taxi to Kaas City. At least it did not rain during their walk to the Nexus Room cantina. That was an unexpected blessing. They passed through the field at the cantina's door and he felt the sweat dry on his body. Which was enjoyable on a balmy night like this.

The barkeep told him where to find Zash on the second floor. With a thank you, he hurried towards the lift. He came to as stop when he entered the party room. Quiet instrumental music filtered through the room. People were standing around talking or sitting at tables. This was a party? Where was the dancing and laughter? Where was the gaiety and frivolity? The pageantry and decadence? This was no more than you'd find in any cantina. No…less. It was a lively as a meeting of droids.

With a frown, he spotted Zash sitting at a far table with two others.

"These prattling creatures call themselves sith? The legacy of Tulak Hord is lost," Khem grumbled at all the petty nonsense he was hearing as he followed his master through the barroom.

The talking dwindled as her table companions looked up to see him and Khem approaching. Zash rose from the table. "I'm sorry, will you excuse me? I must have a quick chat with my apprentice."

He followed her to a quiet corner of the room. "I fear the machine is thoroughly broken. Sadly, even the repair droids were unable to get it functioning again."

Oh, such beautiful news to brighten this dreadfully boring party. "Thank you for letting me know, my apprentice. It was time to replace that bucket of bolt anyway. The newer model will a far more worthy substitute. I appreciate your diligence on the matter, apprentice." She looked down in surprise where her communicator chimed. She pulled it out of her pocket and activated it.

"Lord Zash," Darth Thanaton growled.

She held her finger up, letting her apprentice know the com wouldn't take long. "My lord," she said to the holo, "this is a pleasant surprise."

Thanaton gave a slow shake of his head. "You have some nerve, Zash. I thought you were smarter."

Her brow lifted. Oh, she was very smart. Very smart, indeed. "With all due respect, Darth Thanaton, what are you talking about?"

"Don't you play ignorant with me, Zash. Skotia's dead and you killed him?"

Her hand lifted to her chest in shock. "I did? When did I perform such a dastardly deed?"

"Just now," Thanaton sighed in exasperation. "What did you expect to gain? His position? His title? You know it doesn't work that way! Where is your discretion?" he demanded.

"Just now, my lord? That is certainly very impressive of me, considering I've been at this party for hours." She tapped her chin with her pointer finger. "I'll admit I might have had a bit too much to drink, but I'm fairly certain I didn't kill anyone – even if I have always envied his…shelf space."

"Zash!" Thanaton warned. "I don't want to have this conversation by holo. Report to my chambers immediately!"

She smiled when the Darth's holo vanished and dropped the communicator back into her pocket. "Give me time to talk to Thanaton. I'll let you know when to meet me in Skotia's chambers." She patted his very large arm. "Don't worry, you've played your part, now it's time for me to play mine. We did it, apprentice." She released his arm and headed for the door and the future that awaited her, at long last.

He spent the next two days, barely leaving his room. On the third day, he took her to one of the worm-infested tombs to show her how to properly use the darker energy of the force.

"I don't like this," Annri hissed. "I'm not going to open myself up to be corrupted and twisted."

His brow ridges rose. "Do you think I'm twisted?" he asked curiously.

The sith – Vrok had shown her nothing but kindness. Was he truly what he seemed or was this some kind of long con? "No. But I've heard horror stories of jedi falling to the dark side."

"Then they were weak – or they thought the dark energy would give them more power. But I'm not sure that it can," he said with a shrug. "It is the force user not the force that is stronger or weaker. With dark energy, you can't hold it in, concentrate it and bend it to your will – that is what destroys your body. It will give you an initial hard kick, but the price paid is too high. No," he said with a shake of his head, "with dark energy, you take it and release it, without trying to trap it to build up power. This was something I learned when I…" He shook his head again. "After you cut the connection to the dark energy, then you can take in the light to balance you. The light energy is not as strong here, but it exists." He looked down at the jedi. She did not have the pinched or cruel expression he'd seen on so many apprentices, but most sith did not bother to truly look at unimportant underlings. "I know you are not yet back to your usual strength, but are you weak?" he asked pointedly.

She'd never once considered herself weak. Her spine stiffened. "No, I'm not weak. I am strong in my convictions. But I'm also not arrogant enough to believe I'm infallible."

"Wise woman. But what you need to consider is drawing light energy does not make you inherently good. Just as drawing dark energy does not make you inherently evil." He poked her high on the chest. "That which is located here is what makes you good or evil. It is something the jedi and sith have yet to learn."

She tilted her head. He had an odd way of talking. "You talk of sith as if you are not one," she mused.

He shrugged. "There are many stories I could tell. Now is not the time. Now, we practice."

Annri wasn't sure why she believed anything a sith had to say – but she sensed no deceit in his words. "You aren't going to tell me to use my fear and anger?"

He laughed with delight. She was a refreshing woman to talk with. "That is what any master would say to their apprentice and likely what most sith believe. But focusing on the negative is destructive - though not in a good way. Focus on what you want to accomplish. Focus on the strength inside you and your conviction to make it happen. Your relationship with the force should be give and take – symbiotic, if you will. Don't let it use you, for it surely will and don't try to enslave it because it will take its due. It is the middle ground you want. A healthy, symbiotic relationship."

She just stared at him, unable to believe the words she heard coming from a sith's mouth. No wonder he talked about sith as if he were not one. She wasn't sure he was. With those beliefs, he could never be a jedi or a sith. He was something else altogether…but his beliefs didn't sound wrong. "You have given me much to think about. For now, I will practice with you."

They spent much of the day down in the tunnels clearing out the never-ending supply of worms. Not only did she learn about changing energy to lightning but also about the choke hold. He, in turn, learned how to use dust, debris and rocks as a shield wall that can be hurled at multiple targets if needed. He also learned how to stun multiple targets by causing the ground beneath them to quake.

After dinner, he took her to one of the sparring rooms and they practiced different lightsaber techniques until she was too exhausted to go. This night, she gave him back his bed and slept on the sofa, telling him it fit her much better than it did him.

After breakfast, he was summoned by Zash. And told her he would return shortly. Blip stayed behind to keep her company. The droid was far better companion for her than the dashade. Not that he thought Khem would eat her if he was left alone with her, but he doubted they would find anything at all to talk about.

When he entered Skotia's chambers, he could feel his master but he did not see her, instead he saw two lords examining the room in which he'd killed Skotia.

Kirnon spun around to see the massive Blood. "There! There he is! It's Lord Zash's apprentice. Surely, he knows."

Calaverous shook his head and scanned his datapad. "He wouldn't tell us if he did."

No. No. No. "Still, it doesn't hurt to ask does it?"

Calaverous sighed. "Kirnon, let it rest.

"I will not let it rest," Kirnon declared. Everyone knows Lord Zash was at the party when Skotia was killed and yet everyone knows she killed him."

Vrok laughed at their assumptions. Though, they were the assumptions Zash had wanted. "Don't be ridiculous. It is I that killed Skotia."

Kirnon blinked and shook his head. "Now you're the one being silly." No way could any apprentice have killed a Dark Lord of the Council. It was ludicrous.

The other lord looked the large Blood up and down. There was power and confidence in the apprentice. "I wouldn't underestimate him, Kirnon. He looks dangerous to me."

"You should listen to your friend," Vrok warned.

"Please, you must tell me – how did Zash kill Darth Skotia?" Kirnon all but begged.

"You cannot see the truth when it is right in front of you?" He sighed. "Fine. She captured a spirit and only promised to set it free if it devoured Skotia's soul. Is that more believable than the truth?" He asked with a grin.

Calaverous grunted. "Clearly, he is not saying anything, Kirnon. Let it rest." He'd had enough. He couldn't find anything incriminating in the chamber.

"Fine, then. Fine," Kirnon groused as he followed Calaverous from the room. "But I'm warning you, Calaverous, Lord Zash is becoming too powerful too quickly. Since when has anyone in the history of the sith committed a murder so brazenly, yet make it appear that she was somewhere else the entire time. It's enough to wake the Emperor, I tell..."

He couldn't catch anymore of their conversation because they'd gotten out of range. He shrugged and headed in the direction he'd felt his master's presence. He found her in a side office. "How did your meeting go?"

She grinned. "You would have been proud of me. I went into a reprimand but I emerged a Darth. I know, I know," she said with a wave of her hand. "You want to know about you. Well, for now I still need you as my apprentice. However, a Darth can raise an apprentice to a lord. Soon, my apprentice. Soon, you will get your just rewards."

"As you say," he said, unimpressed by her pretty little lies. He doubted he'd become a lord anytime soon, not when she still had use of him.

"Her breath stinks of sith lies," growled Khem. The sith had no honor. Though he did not approve of all of his master's choices, so far they had not been dishonorable.

"Remember the map you found on Korriban that pointed us to the power of Tulak Hord? The first piece of that artifact is here on Dromund Kaas. It is in the deepest chamber of the Dark Temple. Skotia always horded the key to the chamber like a Hutt hoards his credits. Now, I have Skotia's title, his chambers, his research and his key." She grinned. She paced for a moment and nodded. "Before I went to Korriban to choose an apprentice, a furious apparition awakened in the Dark Temple, implacable in its anger, murdering all who trespassed on the innermost chamber."

She tapped her fingers on her desk. "But I had a dream. An apprentice of low origin humbled himself before the apparition, pacifying it. That's why you and your peers were singled out."

He laughed softly. If she wanted someone of low origin, she chose the wrong slave. To bend his knee to another. He was not sure he could do that. "You ask a lot."

"I know," she said quietly. "You must go into the temple and face the apparition, and when you do, I believe that your humility will be the key. Still…I want you to know – I'm not certain you're the one from the dream. I fear I may be sending you to your death." And then she would have hunt down another apprentice.

"While I do not relish dealing with spirits, I am no stranger to accomplishing the impossible," he told her.

She inhaled deeply. "You're right. You retrieved the holocron on Korriban when no one else could – if that's not proof of your destiny, I don't know what is. Tulak Hord's power awaits us both. We must not lose sight of this goal. Use this glyph," she said as she handed him the glyph she'd found previously, "to enter the innermost chamber of the Dark Temple. Humble yourself before the apparition and bring back the piece of the artifact."

He tucked the glyph into an inner pocket of his robe, inclined his head and strolled from her office.

This was a fool's errand. "Even the great Tulak Hord did not tangle with spirits. Tread lightly, little sith,"

"I intend to. Would you prefer to await my return?"

"No," Khem responded. "I am honor bound to remain at your side. I only ask that you heed the warning."

"Of course." He flipped on his MT and sent a quick message to Blip to explain where he was going so that the droid and Annri did not overly worry.

They took a taxi to Outpost Warden, as they were not allowed to get any closer. Apparently enraged wildlife and possessed people littered the rest of the path to the Dark Temple. So be it. At least it was not raining. From there, they rented speeders. Paid far more than standard fare.

The journey to the Dark Temple was as they said, but he discovered if they remained at a distance, they possessed people and creatures did not even acknowledge they were there. Interesting. They drove the speeders right up the steps and into the entryway of temple. They parked them against the wall and hoped they would be there when they returned.

He pulled up a map of the temple on his micro-terminal. The temple was larger than he'd thought it would be. The chamber they needed was the far back of the temple. Going through the temple was no different than the grounds. As long as they kept their distance, they were ignored. Just as he ignored the whispers in his head.

They took the rounded stairwell up two levels. Six possessed people died at their hands. Wasted deaths, if they could have been saved from their hellish existence. The path up ended a large door that slid open at his approach when he held up the glyph. As he entered a shiver went down his spine. It was another tomb. Icy cold slithered across his exposed flesh. He turned when he saw something out of the corner of his eye and saw a spirit charging towards him. The armor…it couldn't be. "Uncle?"

Kallig came to a stop and looked over the large pureblood. Larger than expected…but a familiar face nonetheless. "Who are you to call me uncle?" he asked.

Was this not his uncle? "I am Vrok Acheron-Kallig, the son of Luetha Kallig and the nephew of Malias Kallig. The armor – you are not Malias, my uncle?" Vrok asked uncertainly.

Luetha and Malias, fine names for a Kallig. "I am not Malias, but I am your ancestor. I felt your movements in the force and they have stirred me from my nightmare. I am still too weak to leave; but I knew if I made myself enough of a nuisance, you would eventually come. The sith throw flesh endlessly at what they cannot control. And here you are, son of my sons."

"Why are you here, grandfather? Why did you want me to come?" His ancestor here. Perhaps all that had happened was meant to happen so that he could be standing here at this point in time.

"When the weaklings of this planet trespassed my tomb, I rose, resuming my former life. This temple became my kingdom, and I was once more a lord of the sith. But when I felt you first grasp the hilt of your lightsaber, I knew my hour had come and gone – that your strength, not mine, would return our family to glory."

"Tulak Hord…" Vrok muttered.

Kallig nodded. "Yes! Our family was torn from greatness, crushed by the treachery of a man I once called friend. Tyulak Hord."

"You speak as if alive," growled Khem. "I would serve my master well to correct that."

"Khem," Vrok warned. "This is my grandfather. Would that you tread lightly."

Kallig grinned, though he knew they could not see it behind his armored mask. "Ha! Your master is dead now, beast. You serve the child of Kallig now!"

"Grandfather, do not goad him. It is unbecoming."

"As you say. As for restoring our bloodline to glory, I will caution you not to make the same mistake I did. Treachery is the sith's endless game. Beware your master, beware your apprentice. Never be taken by surprise. Do these things, and you will be unstoppable. But enough about me – we will talk more later. You came for the artifact that I wrested from Tulak Hord before I died. Take the artifact, my son. But be careful – I know not what it does. Only that betrayal follows it everywhere."

"Then I will have the utmost care," Vrok assured his ancestor.

"I hunger for the day when our power will be restored. I must away – we will meet again, my son."

After his grandfather dissipated, he turned his attention to the stone coffin. It felt wrong to steal from his ancestor, but he was given permission. He moved the stone lid just far enough to remove the object between the bones of his grandfather's hands. Respectfully, he used his power to seat the stone lid back over his grandfather. May no one else disturb his resting place.

With harsh release of breath, he flipped on his MT to notify Zash that he recovered the artifact. "I have the artifact."

Zash smiled. Of course, he did. There was nothing he couldn't do…or so it seemed, but that was a matter for another time. She was not yet done with her apprentice. "Of course. Brilliant! Magnificent! Hurry back to Skotia's – I mean my chambers. I cannot wait to see this artifact, and I have a surprise for you!"

"Oh, I do love a good surprise!" he assured her with a grin.

"Trust me – you'll love it! Now hurry back, apprentice."

The holo flashed off and he returned it his pocket. "I wouldn't trust her if she paid me to."

Khem grunted. "Then you show a wisdom your ancestor lacked."

"Khem!" Vrok warned, before he saw the hideous smile on the dashade's face. So, it was in jest, despite the fact that it was likely true. Kallig trusted a sith.

There speeders were still resting against the wall when they returned and they took them straight to the Sith Sanctum and turned them in at the taxi pad. He knew they'd get back to where they needed to be.

Zash looked up when her apprentice entered her office. "Apprentice. Have I got news for you. Since you left for the Dark Temple, I've been reading and reading and reading. Skotia's chambers are a treasure trove of research. Who would've thought a man like that had such a curious intellect? It almost makes me regret that we had to kill him. But let me see the wonderful artifact you found."

She took it from the Blood's hand and smiled. She hadn't a clue what this strangely shaped piece would be used for, but she would learn it all in time. "Excellent! Magnifiscent! It all begins here, apprentice." It was hard to believe that this mountain of red flesh was going to make all her dreams come true. "Tell me, how did you manage to pacify the apparition?"

_That_ he had no intension of telling her. Even if she found out he, himself, was a Kallig, she didn't need to know the apparition was as well. "First, I took a magnet…and then a chance cube…"

She forced a light laugh. "Fair enough. Your secrets are your own. I, however, will not be so guarded. I have been studying Tulak Hord's artifacts closely for some time, and one glance at this one you've brought back confirms everything I've suspected. These artifacts will change everything, apprentice – you, especially. They will make you more powerful than you could ever imagine. I have foreseen it."

No sith would ever allow their apprentice to become more powerful than themselves. No, whatever these artifacts did, she alone would reap the benefit. "Tell me about them."

"This artifact is one of five that together describe a peculiar ritual used by the great Tulak Hord when he conquered the Dromund System. Until I have all of them, I cannot understand the full nature of the ritual, but I have foreseen that you alone will wield the ritual's power." That should make him more than eager to go and retrieve all the artifacts. He would play into her hands nicely. "The artifacts are scattered across the galaxy; some hidden by Tulak Hord himself, and some wrenched from his hands by betrayers. Documents in Skotia's effects point to Balmorra and Nar Shaddaa, but I will need to do more research to locate the other two."

"I hope you are in no particular hurry. Taking shuttles and random ships may take some time. But I will get it done," he informed her.

"Oh – I almost forgot your surprise! If you're going to find these artifacts, you'll need a ship and so I have ordered you one. You will find your ship at the spaceport in bay C-72."

"That will make travel easier. I appreciate your thoughtfulness," he told her.

"You've earned it, apprentice. And don't forget to contact me when you reach each planet for more information on the artifact's location. Good luck and good hunting!"

Khem turned to his master as soon as she left the office. "She will neve command the power of Tulak Hord. Remember, little sith, I am always hungry."

"And if she gets in the way, you can eat her. As much as it may gall me, for now I still need her."

They returned to his quarters to gather his meager possessions, along with the jedi and droid. His ship was right where she said it would be. And it was a beauty.

She stared at the ship through the large window it the bay. "This ship looks so new…any ship we get has been well…seasoned," she said with a grin. "It is beautiful, Vrok. Thank you, for letting me come with you. I'm glad to be leaving Dromund Kaas…and I would like learn more about you. You are fascinating."

"Not sure how I feel about being _fascinating_, but you are welcome to join us." Then again, he found her fascinating as well. "Let's board her, because I'm eager to be away from Dromund Kaas as well."

The ship was not huge, but it was sleek and no doubt it would be fast. A few feet in front of the airlock was a safety room, with harness chairs and stasis pods. The airlock hall curved around to the main deck of the ship. To the right, there was a hall, of which engineering was on the right and the cargo bay on the left. Within the bay, there was a large hatch, no doubt used to bring in goods as well as an exit point for the speeders held within the bay. The hall ended at the laundry room that also had a hatch that led down to an escape pod. From the airlock, you could cut straight through the ship to the bridge, or you can turn left and you were essentially in the main room of the ship. It contained an entertainment set up on one end, an interstellar holoterminal, designed to be powerful enough to handle large distances and a training area on the far side. More rooms separated off at the end of the commons. His CO cabin was small, but the beg looked large enough to even hold him…maybe. Across from his room was the med-bay, with two operational med-beds and a bacta tank. Impressive for such a small ship. In between those two rooms was a hall leading further down. To the right was what appeared to be the dining room as well as a meeting room. Through the door behind the table was a small kitchen. Across from the dining room was the crew quarters with two large sets of bunkbeds on each side. So, crew of eight. Good to know. He could also see that the beds each had storage and shelves built into the back walls for personal items, as well as a door that slid closed for privacy. That was a nice touch. At the end of the hall was a hatch in the floor that led to the escape pod and a large communal refresher. While he had a small refresher, the crew had to share.

Annri took the top bunk cater-corner to the lower bunk Khem chose, so she could be as far from him as possible. He could certainly understand her choice. Khem had a rather unique and…pungent scent to him, perhaps a few turns through decontamination would do him good.

His room consisted of bed, desk, armoire and a small refresher. He put what little he owned in the armoire, along with the other, now useless items like the device he used on Skotia's cybernetics and the glyph. "Blip, please scan the ship for surveillance." When the little droid scampered off, he grinned. It felt good to be out on his own. Since there was nothing to return to, he could only push forward. And with a jedi at his side, no less. That…he never could have imagined.


End file.
